Question
QUESTION: WE have recently move into a new property which has a very old willow tree, we think at least 60 years old.  Although I remeber it being covered with folliage last year, due to extensive building work to the property we did not pay much attention to the garden.(bulding work nowhere near the tree)
It is now the end of April and although there is a little greenery to the top of the tree it seems very sparse.  Are wer being a little premature? Cannot seem to find out any culture on this variety of tree.  Can you advise? Thanks. Pam D

ANSWER: I would just wait and see --the tree may just be late leafing out. You can check to see if the tree is still alive by starting near the end of an upper branch and scrape a small bit of bark off the limb and if the color under the bark is green the branch is still alive and should leaf out. If the color is brown the branch is dead at that point on the branch--If brown continue down the branch scraping at intervals until you find green or reach the trunk. When you find green stop and wait until the tree leafs out and then you can prune off the dead parts.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The tree is located about 7 foot from a conservatory which was built about 5 years ago, we think.  Could this have done any damage to the root system.  Thanks. Pam D

Answer
Any damage fro the construction of the building would have show up within the first two years of the construction. The willow may just be reaching the end of its life span. Willows are relatively short lived--30-40 years.

water is normally the limiting factor fro willows --they use more water than most trees. When it does not rain for a couple of weeks I would water the tree with 1 inch of water per week--place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. Also if the tree leafs out I would fertilize it with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. This will help the overall health of the tree.