If you're serious about growing your own food and have a bit of land and access to timber then I'd highly recommend building hugelkulture mounds. You basically bury logs in the ground then build a raised bed on top of them using smaller bits of wood, compost, and soil. The logs act like giant sponges that hold moisture and feed the soil as they break down. Soft wood like cotton, apple, and poplar will break down quicker than hard woods and some wood should be avoided all together like black walnut, locust, and conifers unless they're already heavily decomposed. I've built a couple of these and the plants thrive in them. Watering is minimal once established with some of the larger mounds not needing water at all over the entire growing season.
If you're serious about growing your own food and have a bit of land and access to timber then I'd highly recommend building hugelkulture mounds. You basically bury logs in the ground then build a raised bed on top of them using smaller bits of wood, compost, and soil. The logs act like giant sponges that hold moisture and feed the soil as they break down. Soft wood like cotton, apple, and poplar will break down quicker than hard woods and some wood should be avoided all together like black walnut, locust, and conifers unless they're already heavily decomposed. I've built a couple of these and the plants thrive in them. Watering is minimal once established with some of the larger mounds not needing water at all over the entire growing season.
Also avoid willow trunks and branches, as they will sprout even if they've been "dead" for a long time. Then you'll have a willow forest.
I love willow trees. So will your kids.
No. What loves them in my neck of the woods is moose. Which you want nowhere near your garden!