I learned how to root, prune, and nurture Willows from my father. Since my brother removed his memorial tree , I took it upon myself to plant a few cuttings from it this spring. They're all doing great ... except I may have errored a step potting ... Once rooted and sprout I planted them in 8 inch pots to match their size. Well it is below freezing in zone 5 , although I was going to bury the pots as they are cold tolerant, I brought them indoors due to the pot size and lack of information. Was this a mistake? Should they be put outdoors again ? Larger pots next time? Can I try to maintain one indoors as a houseplant by topping off monthly or has this been done ? ( My father planted his in a 5 gallon container , not sure why, but I believe to simulate ground planting which protected the roots from freezing. The tree grew to a healthy 45ft tall)
They absolutely must be outside. If you are worried about the cold, then plant them in the ground while they are still in the pots. A bigger container is not a good idea (see "over potting").
Thank you for your timely response. I knew they belonged outside but I let my fear get the best of me. Yes, planting pots in ground is what I meant by burying. Quite honestly they should be better considering I am an houseplant murderess. Too much attention as you can see, instead of lack of. My outdoor gardens and trees do beautifully though - Mother Nature does a great job. Interesting information on over potting. I had never made it to re-potting previous plants but am hoping my recent houseplant collection of gifts will thrive that far. thanks again
In commercial production small plants are often moved from small pots to big, without an intermediate size between. Even so the common problem is not over-potting, it is under-potting (failure to keep up with the growth of the plant, resulting in deformed roots).
