‘Osier’ is a loose term covering a number of species of willow (Salix) which are coppiced in one form or another. Terminology, and the species involved varies both regionally and according to the purpose for which they are grown.
Traditionally every lowland village and hamlet had its osiers for basketwork, eel traps, thatching spars, firewood, fencing and many other uses. East Anglia and the Somerset levels were two centres of well-developed local industries based on basket willow and other specialised uses. After declining for many years, there is now a revival of interest in osier production.
Osiers are versatile. They can be grown into thickets, windbreaks, shelterbelts and, if desired, treated as a commercial crop at the same time. They are also highly tolerant of neglect and cutting, surviving as long as the roots reach water. Cut lengths of willow inserted into the ground will readily resprout, so propagation and planting is very easy.
Commercial osier production requires regular management. Its drawback for conservation purposes is that commercial osier beds consist of large blocks of even-aged plants. Even if harvested only once every few years, their wildlife value tends to fluctuate from almost zero the first year to a high point after perhaps three years, and then dropping slowly until hitting zero again when the osiers are cut.
Basket willow or ‘withy’ shows the rigours of commercial management in extreme form. Withy is harvested annually, and production standards are so high that there can be little tolerance for other wildlife.
Rotational management of osier beds which are subdivided into small blocks radically improves their value for insects and many species of small passerine birds. Permanent grass strips and drainage ditches further diversify the habitat.
Planting and initial management
Preparing the cuttings
- Cut in early spring for the best survival of cuttings, although the success rate is good whatever the season. Two-year shoots are best. Older ones take nearly as well but are harder to push into the ground.
- Trim side shoots from each main shoot as you cut it. Rest the butt ends in water to keep them from drying out before transplanting. Transplant as soon as possible.
- Two-year shoots should be 1.8-2.4m (6-8′) long. Cut them into 600mm (2′) lengths with a billhook. Angle the cut cleanly so that there is no bruising or back peeling of bark.
Where the water table is too deep for short cuttings, make them 1-1.2m (3-4′) long. Use older, thicker shoots for this, although cuttings thicker than about 50mm (2″) at the butt end are hard to push into any but the softest ground.
Planting techniques
- Plant cuttings right end up, as they were on the tree. Look carefully at the leaf scars or young buds to check.
- Wear work gloves to push in cuttings. Force in thick cuttings by leaning on them with a glove or rolled-up jacket between the end of the stick and your chest to minimise bruising and blisters.
- Use a crowbar to punch a hole in hard clayey soil or when planting thick cuttings.
- Tread around the cuttings after pushing them to the required depth, to firm them in.
Planting depth and spacing
- Be sure the cuttings reach moist earth. Cuttings 600mm (2′) long should be pushed 300mm (1′) deep in damp loamy soil. Use longer cuttings pushed 400-600mm (1’6″-2′) deep to reach damp soil as necessary.
- Space the plants 500mm (1’8″) apart for thickets and screens, leaving twice this distance between every sixth and seventh row to allow access for management. Wider spacings, from 900mm-1.5m (3-5′) are possible where the plants are not to be commercially harvested and tight straight shoots are unnecessary. Stagger the plants in the wider rows.
Protecting osier beds
Osier beds must be protected from browsing by cattle. Many beds are protected by dykes, but otherwise fencing will be necessary. Extra fencing may be needed in areas where deer are numerous.
Establishing a rotation
The winter after planting, cut the new growth off to about 75mm (3″) above the ground, to stimulate growth the next spring. In later years, cut to the chosen rotation. The stools slowly grow to about 600mm (2′) tall and increase in diameter over the years until eventually they are almost spherical.
Cutting and processing
Cutting
- Cut osiers any time after the leaves drop in autumn until just after the new leaves burst in spring.
- Cut cleanly as close to the stump as possible. Although willow survives rough cutting and torn bark, any stubs left on the stools thicken between harvests and make work much more difficult the next time.
- The traditional method uses a grasshook, although a billhook should be used for older, thicker shoots. Face the plant, take a handful of shoots in your left hand (if right-handed) and bend them slightly back to put them under tension. Cut the shoots in turn, striking each one sharply at an acute angle. Angle each blow upwards to trim the shoots off along the contour of the stool, being careful not to follow through and catch your left hand. Lay the handful of cuttings neatly to the side, and move around the stool to grasp and cut the remaining shoots in the same way.
- For those not skilled with a grasshook or billhook, loppers can be used. These are slower, but produce a clean cut.
- Clean around the cut surface of each stool before moving on to harvest the next plant. Leaf litter helps maintain the fertility of the osier beds but should not be allowed to pile up around freshly cut stools or they may rot.
Processing
- If osiers are not to be sold after harvesting, cut them into lengths for transplanting or stack them into ‘habitat piles’.
- Osiers to be sold should be gathered into bundles and tied with baler twine. The ‘standard’ bundle is 710mm (28″) around at the base. Carry the bundled osiers out of the beds and stack them where they can be removed by trailer.
