I purchased 7 bareroot apples from Stark last summer during their sale. I planted them in pots and never got around to planting them in fall, so I overwintered them. I placed the pots as tight together as I could against the wall of my garage, but outside. Ideally I suppose I should have covered them with leaves and tried to get a tarp over them, but I was unable to do so. The only protection that they got was that I'd shovel snow over top of the pots every time that it snowed here, so they were under a pile of snow for at least 50% of the winter. I'm in zone 5A and they came out of the winter fine, are in the ground now and have broken dormancy and look fantastic. I'm not suggesting that trying to overwinter potted trees in cold areas is ideal, but if you have to do it and can give them any protection, they'll likely be OK. Admittedly, we had a fairly mild winter this year but were still sub-zero quite a few times.

I stopped by the tree forum because of another issue but want to make a couple of points. Some of the advice already given here is from a horticultural or arboreal perspective: the tree is thought of as THE important object. It denies the primary purpose that the tree serves: to be PART of a landscape... an artistic statement... a subordinate decorative object that adds character and interest--"dressing"--to the house... much as one would place a picture on the wall or a lamp in a particular location on the inside of the home. It is not intended to be a horticultural object grown for it's own sake like one might grow a solitary tree in a park or a tomato in a vegetable garden. It would be much more appropriate to think of this tree as one thinks of a neck tie for a man's wardrobe... not worn so we can see its entirety, but so that what we do see contributes positively to the well dressed man's overall image. The fact that 75% of a neck tie is hidden from view is immaterial. Likewise, growing this tree for a 360* view would be 100% against its designed purpose. What matters is that plants help promote the best presentation of the surrounding property. If it requires a contortion (as an espalier) or a horticulturally unusual juxtaposition (as a one-sided plant against a building) the plants will not care. They have neither thoughts nor feelings. In this particular case the tree is trying to help make the house look less like a large naked box sitting suddenly and abruptly on top of the ground. It's trying to ease the architectural transition to the outdoor world. It cannot do this well from a distance. The question posed for this thread is not really one of horticulture; it is foremost a question of art. When it comes to pruning, I'm not sure why extreme delicacy and caution is so often urged. The fact is, that this tree could be cut down to three feet height and by the end of the summer, half of it would be back in place. It wouldn't be as tall, but it would be thicker, fuller and have a better spaced trunk system. For the most part, the trunks would sort and space themseves uniformly like a giant bouquet... and such a form would not be an unpleasant looking object. It might be just what the house is asking for, but I'm NOT suggesting such drastic pruning. I'm suggesting that working with the trunk system already in place and making the best of it is a reasonable goal. I'm also suggesting work that doesn't need to "go slowly" or be delayed. It can all be done now and in 20 minutes with no unmanageable consequeces. Pruning is not the act of placing branches where one wants them. It is the act of removing them from where one doesn't. Since removing existing growth encourages new growth elsewhere, one merely hopes that it appears where it's wanted and can remain. It's wishful thinking to suppose that the tree itself will know where it should be growing branches and trunks in order to please the homeowner's need for an artistic landscape. It is the homeowner who should be dictating to the tree what is allowed and what isn't, in order to achieve the art form that best displays the house, and displays best against the house. Though the trunk system here is a modified combination, it's multiple trunk portion dictates most of the pruning decisions. Multi-trunk small trees look best with trunk spreads that are between 45* and 60*. The range is arbitrary. It's just what I've personally concluded after comparing hundreds of trees. And part of it depends on the tree's ultimate size and location. Generally, the larger a tree will become, the more fitting a narrower spread becomes. If space is tight, a wide spreading tree may become an obstruction. There's flexibility. Someone's different view of what a proper spread should be would not be in competition with mine; it would just be their different view of an artistic statement. Since this tree is already in its "teenage years" (in "tree terms") we'd not focus on radical changes, but just bring the trunk spread within an acceptable range, seeking to attain balance. The tree should should appear to be standing upright and not leaning strongly in one direction. Second, I'd give an overall trim to the top of the canopy for the purpose of attaining a relatively uniform dome shape; upper growth is currently leaning leftward. If greater control of size and increased canopy density is desired, trim to the "optional limit of canopy." (This "limit" is not ultimate, but is only advice about pruning now.) Third, I'd limb up all the twigs and branches that fall below the bottom of the desired canopy height. For a growing tree, a horizontal line established at 50% of the height is a good rule-of-thumb. See illustration below. It will allow for raising the canopy annually until the desired ultimate height is achieved... at no less than 8' or 9' ht. for the bottom of a canopy in typical situations. Notes about the illustration: I'd remove the trunk labeled "A." It creates an unbalanced, right-ward lean to the overall trunk mass. (See the sillhouette comparison.) Removing it brings the mass into better balance. Additionally, the same trunk is set at a low angle (approximately 45*) from vertical. As it grows and gets longer it has no choice but to get heavier. The added weight will pull it downward. It's not only conceivable but is entirely likely that it will be low and wide-spreading enough to obstruct adjacent passing space in the lawn. There is no reason to be purposely growing an unbalanced obstuction. If cut today, one would endure the work of a 2" dia. cut. If one waits until it becomes a problem before removing it, one may be making a 6" dia. cut (and corresponding wound) and disposing of 80 lbs. of yard waste instead of 8 lbs. There is no reason to wait for unpleasant news to be guaranteed. In the bottom illustration, remove all twigs and foliage below the green line unless it is a desired new trunk (more vertical than 45*) in the process of forming within the accepted range of trunk spread. If the homeowner decides to accept my advice, hopefully, she will report back with an updated photo showing the result.

Pat, Scully has a point. Plastic pots do work well but it won't insulate the plant. Your best approach if you wish to containerize a tree is to find or build a concrete planter and line it with styrofoam insulators (the ones used for houses). Scully if you intend to go through with such a plan, obviously you will need to build the planter in place. Or if you wish to purchase the planter and have it delivered to the precise area you wish to set the tree. Any tree can be containerize and I have had experience in miniaturizing trees (like bonsai). Make sure the drainage holes are located on the side of the planter and not beneath. The reason is that willow roots will try to seek water and could escape through the hole. If the hole is located beneath, there's no chance you will be able to lift that planter to cut it off. However this will be able to do if the drainage holes are on the sides. Willows are very hardy and they can withstand cold temps. But I have a feeling plastic pots will not be enough to keep the plant healthy. I presently have the corkscrew willow potted in terra cotta and it's been with me for the past 7 years. However I have it on a porch and so not as exposed as what you plan to do. Oh, and the width of the crown of the tree would be approx. 2x the size of the planter. The height would be something like 3x or more the height of the planter. Basically the smaller the planter, the smaller the plant and the more you'd need to water them. another thing, when you are ready to plant, take a pipe and sink it in the soil. Use this to water the plant since the pipe could reach the roots deep below. This is especially important when the plant starts to get root bound. Otherwise when you water, most of that will simply roll out and not reach the roots within.

I'm no expert, but that sure looks like water damage to me. My thought exactly. If she's got drainage problems, that seems to be the more likely cause. Root cracks to foundations tend to be subgrade-that crack is pretty high up to be caused by roots. Plus it looks like it's bowing outward-I wonder if there is water damage inside the garage? Before I saw the photo I thought you should probably hire an engineer to look into this-to rule out some other issues, but looking at the photo and that she agrees to pay toward cutting it down, I'd do that instead. I can't imagine that it'd cost you $500 for sod, much less grass seed and a few shrubs to replace the tree. I think that the tree is too close to her structure, but I don't think it's the cause of the crack. My next door neighbor has (had) a lot of large trees on his property-one giant maple was at least 4 feet diameter and hung out over our deck. He also had some 80 foot poplars-some were dead, that fell and had to be removed. We had some 60 foot cherry trees cut down on our property line-they were all planted before the properties had been subdivided, but grew up along the property lines. This past winter his giant maple broke down the center and part fell and just missed the neighbor behind us house. It literally grazed the side of their house. I told him that the remainder of the tree needed to come out because it would fall and hit our house but he refused to do anything about it. I called our local government, no tree ordinances, not even hazard trees! I called the fire marshall, I called our insurance company and was advised to write him a certified letter notifying him of our intention to file suit to have the tree removed if he didn't act within 30 days. Our insurance would not pay out on a claim if he knowingly left the remainder of the tree uncut. He evenutally had that huge branch that hung out over our house cut down (it was at least 40 feet long) and the remainder of the snags from the other limb that had broken off, but he left the stump-about 10 feet tall, with one limb that hangs out over his garage. The tree is rotten-all his trees are over 70 years old and at the end of their lives, but he refuses to cut them out. We cut down an old maple from our front yard that was rotting in the center-just two weeks before a windstorm that broke a large limb off a sweet gum tree in our front yard. We have planted new, replacement trees, in more appropriate spots and more appropriate for the size of our lot.