Appalachian PMC Hosts Workshop for WV Conservation Agency

Submitted by John Vandevender, PMC Manager

The Appalachian Plant Materials Center (PMC) in Alderson, West Virginia hosted a technical training session for several State Conservation Agency employees on March 12. Focus of the training was proper preparation of dormant “Bankers’ dwarf willow hardwood cuttings for successful planting in riparian areas. ‘Bankers’ dwarf willow is a small to medium sized semi-prostrate shrub growing only 6 to 8 feet in height, with smooth, slender, tough, resilient branches that are lime green at first but later change to a darker green. ‘Bankers’ sends up many branches from the roots to form a dense surface cover, while the roots themselves form an interlocking network to tie the soil together. Dwarf willow is recommended for erosion control plantings along small stream channels. Fast growth, resilient stems, and the ability to recover from mechanical damage make it an ideal plant for this use.

WVCA Employees hard at work harvesting willow whips at the Appalachian PMC. Photo by John Vandevender

‘Bankers’ is easily established by planting sections of the dormant stems, thus the term “unrooted cuttings”. Whips or stems are cut into approximately 8 inch long pieces which are simply pushed into the soil to a depth that leaves only 2 leaf buds exposed.

WVCA Personnel make unrooted cuttings from willow stems. Photo by John Vandevender

Training was led by John Vandevender, PMC Manager, and Randall Lester, Assistant PMC Manager, and consisted of proper methods of field harvesting willow whips or stems followed by processing the whips to produce unrooted cuttings suitable for riparian plantings later this spring. Production of willow wattles or fascines was also demonstrated. A second training session on planting techniques for unrooted cuttings and fascines is being planned for later this spring.

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