Austree Willow questions

[jwell]

On my previous post about this tree, we tried to find out what species it actually is for watering purposes. We came to find that we think it’s a Salix mix(Austree), which would like a normal amount of water, and NOT geijera parviflora which would be more drought tolerant. It always is pretty damp because I’m assuming it’s Austree.
Recently there has been yellowing and dropping of leaves, mostly lower leaves I would say, but some large, older ones too. Do you think this is from overwatering, underwatering, or something else?

I’m also wondering when/what order should I transfer to a larger pot, trim it down, and potentially start wiring the main branches back around to my liking. It seems like there are lots of roots in the current pot, so maybe the yellowing could be from suffocating roots, and not enough drainage. Would I trim, wire, or pot up first?

Thanks, any other tips are appreciated as well.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Looks perfectly happy to me. Willows are growing strongly at this time of year, so sometimes those lower and interior leaves get yellow and fall off. When you really have to worry is when the growing tips get unhappy and die back, which is a sign of something more serious.

I would just keep it in this pot for now and let it grow for another season. I think your eventual goal should be for that right-most branch, with that elegant curve, to be your trunk, after it gets a couple of inches thick. Will have nice movement and taper at that point. Then you hard chop it. We're talking spring 2024, essentially.

 

[jwell]

When you really have to worry is when the growing tips get unhappy and die back, which is a sign of something more serious.

I would just keep it in this pot for now and let it grow for another season. I think your eventual goal should be for that right-most branch, with that elegant curve, to be your trunk, after it gets a couple of inches thick.

What would the tip dieback mean? I’ve had the tip of the branch be blackish and dry, but rebounded. Currently one branch has something like that(pic 1).
Also a pic of some missing leaves(pic 2).

I like your idea of having the right branch become part of the trunk hopefully.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Do you have it in full sun?

 

[jwell]

Do you have it in full sun?

Mostly, the sun goes behind a birch tree for a few hours. I can move it to a sunnier spot though.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Mostly, the sun goes behind a birch tree for a few hours. I can move it to a sunnier spot though.

I would.