What should I do?

[hoodbonsai]

Okay so I was out for a walk and came across a weeping willow that was hanging over the side walk and a took a small piece of branch from it. I put the branch in water with stones in it to hold the plant up. I just looked today and it started pushing leaves. The problem is I have it inside and I know they have to be outside but it’s literally freezing out and it won’t survive. Do I have any options to keep it alive?

Thanks!!

 

[leatherback]

Keep it in a cold room in the window. When you get roots, you can plant it and keep it in the coolest bright place you have till it gets spring weather.

 

[penumbra]

You will get all kinds of Good answers here, and if you want to baby this through the winter, have at it. Personally, I would be inclined to dump it and take a cutting in late winter just before buds break. My guess is that if you were to baby the one you have through winter, and take a fresh cutting late winter, the new cutting will outperform the one you have quite dramatically, if it manages to survive.
But if you have the time and patience, and you really want to save your existing cutting, I wish you the best. You should take a picture and start a thread here now to track your results.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I got 3 willow cuttings just before Christmas. I put them in a jar of water in a window and they sat there and grew roots and leaves for probably 2 months. As long as it continues to live, just let it do it's thing.

 

[rockm]

Dump this one. Go back to the path in the spring and get another. Grow it outside. Willow roots with very little effort. This isn't worth the trouble of babying it through the winter inside.

 

[leatherback]

middle ground.. Play with this nw. Before spring arrange with the property owner that you can get a big branch.
These root also in the 10-20 cm thickness.

 

[hoodbonsai]

Thanks for all of the replies!!

 

[penumbra]

Just want to mention that I have rooted 5 and 6 foot tall hardwood willow cuttings just by pushing them into the ground in late winter early spring.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Dump this one. Go back to the path in the spring and get another. Grow it outside. Willow roots with very little effort. This isn't worth the trouble of babying it through the winter inside.

Babying it? Meaning not touching it at all other than refilling it's water once a month?

 

[rockm]

Babying it? Meaning not touching it at all other than refilling it's water once a month?

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/why-you-cannot-keep-bonsai-trees-indoors.66924/page-3#post-1158867

Light and humidity are not kind to temperate zone trees inside for the winter. Yes it will require monitoring for those things.

 

[Wulfskaar]

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/why-you-cannot-keep-bonsai-trees-indoors.66924/page-3#post-1158867

Light and humidity are not kind to temperate zone trees inside for the winter. Yes it will require monitoring for those things.

I did it last year with 3 willow cuttings over winter. I did nothing other than look at them and fill the jars with water when they got low. I put them outside after a few months and they are still kicking.

But sure, I understand you can't keep them inside forever.