My Pussy Willow Tree

Two weeks ago, I bought this pussy willow tree. I’m going to try to grow it as a bonsai tree. I am worried that it will not make it through the winter because it needs to go through a cold period of time, and Chicago has colder winters than it is accustomed to. Anyway, I’m going to try to keep it indoors until it gets warm enough, and then this summer I’m going to put it on my balcony. I live in an apartment, and unfortunately, I don’t have a garden or backyard.

I have a grow light that it’s growing under, so I’m hoping it will get enough light. It needs at least six hours of light a day, and a lot of water. I also read that they like a lot of humidity, so I’m going to misted every day. Above are my first pictures of it.

There seems to be some disagreement online as to whether or not this tree can survive indoors. Most of the articles that I read say that it cannot live indoors, but I’ve seen many videos online that show people keeping their trees indoors, so I’m kind of confused about this. The other problem is that this type of plant is very susceptible to houseplant pests such as scale, and spider mites, so I’m going to have to be very vigilant and take action at the first sign of trouble. What I have learned is that it’s good to occasionally spray your plants with a mixture of water and alcohol because it’s a good idea to keep the pests at bay if it all possible. Often I have found, that by the time you see them, it’s too late. Don’t wait until your plant looks sick. Occasionally spraying with water-alcohol mixture can be a good way to keep the pests at bay.