Here on southern Maine I found many green branches were being cut off Weeping Willow April and May. So much that I didn't think the tree would live another two years. I found out after getting rid of ground hpgs, porcupines, skunks and opossums that it was 8 grey squirrels doing the deed. They just climb and bite the branch off...no reason. Was like catnip to them. So far I dispatched all but one and willow tree is doing much better. I will get yhe last one eventually...I am retired.

well - its not that you can't. Its what may occur later on. You may have seen a number of ficus plants being braided like this and that's actually in the nature of ficus which are in the wild, considered parasite trees (they grow up trees and eventually strangle them). its fine for those tropical plants. With dappled willows though it could be a different story. You would notice in tree shaping how branches growing too close to another are separated and sometimes one will be cut out. This is because those tiny gaps in between is an area vulnerable to insects, ice, disease. I'm not too sure about the strangling it to death part of it. Just beneath the outer bark layer, the is the layer that's responsible for carrying up nutrients - basically plant veins. So if that gets strangled then some of the branches can be affected by that process. -- that is if those bark areas are compromised.

Your tree was still short enough that the deer may have had a snack. It could also be storm damage, though. Weeping willows have extremely weak wood. It's not uncommon for this to happen to them even at a young age. The good news is that you will easily be able to root the branches. Willows contain a hormone that promotes rooting so all of the branches that you collected will probably root. If deer are responsible for this episode, you will have to surround your new trees with a temporary fence to keep the deer away until the tree is tall enough to be out of their reach.

Alabama, there wasn't much trunk to wrap for me, it was like a shrub, and it was further from where the deer usually usually come onto my land, it was so short I never thought they would bother it. I have 3, 8-10 ft oaks close to where the deer come over from the woods, that I would've thought they would've went for before this little Willow oak. Ed Lincoln I don't think this tree was targeted for any reason by the Cicadas, because they killed back many trees, my Durand oak was a 3 inch thick trunk with sprouts coming up from the bottom, the top was killed, so I just bought 2 more Durand oaks. They killed back about 3 ft of the top of a beadles oak. I am letting it releader. The Cicadas messed up my Pecan really bad, but it has bounced back. The first Willow oak that got killed was deer damaged last year, then Cicadas hit it, I don't think there's any one tree the cicadas like more. Any dogs I have Ed, will be snuggled in the house with the family, so no help there, but, Ed, the Cicadas I am talking about are the ones that come every 17 years, so any tree that replaces it, will be pretty large and have lottsa leaves by the next time they come back. However, I know why the deer are coming up further into my yard than before, my dads apple trees are bearing, and my Chestnut oak is dumping acorns. The Willow oak is pretty much in the lower yard still, but, they are likely wandering around when it's dark. I've put a tomato cage around my newly planted Beadles oak I just got, and have found that there are netlike garbage cans from the Dollar Tree that are good for protecting small seedlings until they are tall enough for the tree shelters I bought. I also am wondering of maybe a groundhog or bunny didn't do that to the short Willow oak. Anyone reading this a hunter? Or deer knowledgeable? Are they rubbing the velvet off yet? Are they going crazy and fighting with other bucks and trees even yet? I think it's too early to be going crazy to mate already. And it would be fighting with my bigger oaks anyways. Later guys, thanks also.