Vines for baskets can be very different, weave products from unbarked and debarked twigs. The technique of work is also different, as are the resulting products.
The best time to harvest
In order to weave from debarked non-peeled rods, blanks can be carried out all year round. For those rods, the bark from which must be peeled, and the rods themselves boiled, the terms are tougher, and begin approximately from October-November. Harvesting begins after the first frost, since at this time the buds on the branches hide inward, making the twigs smoother and cleaner until spring. By the second half of winter, starting from mid-January, the rods become more viscous and flexible, their color at this time after boiling is darker.
White rods, the so-called juice, are cut either at the beginning of May or at the end of August. Between these months, the twig grows actively, and by the end of August it has grown enough, although its bark is still very easily detached. At this time, the rod is brittle, soft and grassy, easily exfoliates and breaks. In order for the bark to move away better, they often turn the autumn twig into a juice one. To do this, the cut vine is placed at room temperature in a barrel of water, changing the water for a month. After that, sanding the rod is easier. For the same purpose, boiling water is poured over the rods.
It is preferable to sand the juice rods in place of the workpiece and immediately dry in the sun, turning over to dry evenly. If dried on the ground, the rods will be stained, so it is better to use decking, and if it rains, sheds.
Harvesting technology
Finding out whether the vine is suitable for weaving can be done in one fairly simple way. To do this, the cut branch is bent closer to the thick end, the butt. If the rod has withstood the 180-degree bend and has not cracked, you can cut the vine from this bush. It will be difficult to weave art products from brittle rods; it will also break during work.
Despite the fact that not many tools are used for harvesting willow rods, each master will still cut the vine in his own way. The vine is pruned with a sharp, serviceable pruner of a convenient size for the master. Only one-year-old shoots are cut from the bushes, if the twig is thick, 10-15 cm are left from the butt. From the buds remaining there, fresh shoots will go the next year. The cut is done at a slight angle so that the stump is also pointed.
The cut rods are collected in bundles, and each bundle can contain up to 500 rods, depending on the volume of production. It is more convenient to calibrate the vines collected in bunches in length and thickness for working with it. When weaving, you need to have a sharp knife, a bowl for soaking, wire cutters and a screwdriver. After the first experiments, the list of these materials for each master may slightly change.
