How Does Salix purpurea Spread Its Seeds? A Full Explanation of Its Dispersal Methods

Salix purpurea is a good tree species for soil and water conservation; its branches are straight and flexible, with good wear resistance, and can be used for weaving. So how does Salix purpurea spread its seeds?

1. How does Salix purpurea spread its seeds

Salix purpurea spreads its seeds by wind. Salix purpurea has strong toughness and can replace wood with its stems and replace bamboo with its stems, serving as building and packaging material. The bark of the willow stems contains salicylic acid and can be used medicinally.

2. Pest and Disease Control of Salix purpurea

1. Rust

Damage symptoms: It mainly harms the leaves, and in severe cases the leaves fall off. It mostly occurs around the Autumn Equinox.

Control method: Before the disease occurs, spray Bordeaux mixture diluted 250-350 times; during the disease period, spray 200 times diluted nabam, once every 15 days.

2. Yellow jaundice disease

Damage symptoms: The peak incidence is around the Autumn Equinox. In mild cases the stems stop growing; in severe cases the leaves and stems turn yellow, wilt and die. The occurrence of this disease is often related to not harvesting the stems in time in summer; harvesting the stems in the first fu period can prevent this disease.

Control method: Spray 100 times diluted Bordeaux mixture or scatter plant ash in the morning when the dew has not yet dried.

3. Willow gall midge

Damage symptoms: The willow gall midge is one of the most serious local pests. It is mainly the larvae that damage the tender shoots, forming galls at the shoot tips, causing the willow stems to stop growing and the shoot tips to branch, seriously affecting the yield and quality of the willow stems.

Control method: (1) From April 5 to April 15 each spring, during the initial outbreak period of the willow gall midge, spray with imidacloprid, 40% omethoate, or 40% monocrotophos diluted 1000 times. After spraying, the galls disappear, the new shoots continue to grow, and the quality of the stem plantation is not affected. (2) Eliminate the source of the pests. After the stems are cut each year, the willow stems must be promptly transported away from the woodland to prevent the adult insects from migrating, and the branches with pests and diseases must be burned.

4. Willow blue leaf beetle

Damage symptoms: The insect mainly gnaws on the tender shoots and tender leaves of the willow stems, causing the willow stems to break off and die or to branch, and it has a very strong flying ability.

Control method: Spray with 50% parathion emulsifiable concentrate or 80% dichlorvos emulsifiable concentrate diluted 1000 times, etc.

The Salix purpurea produced in Europe, based on a large number of specimens and research on recent foreign materials, has no wild distribution in China.