How small is a small yard? My wife wanted a weeping willow, so I had to find a place to plant one.My parents planted one when I was young,and it was quite large 15 years later. The place I bought mine from say's it will grow 60ft tall by 40ft in diameter on a mature tree. That would mean you should plant at least 20ft from building or property line,or other obstacle. WW is fast growing so you will have to prune alot to keep it in check.It also is not long lived. If you prune to much it may not look much like the willow you love.On the other hand if you cut it down before it gets to big for it's area,you may get 20 years or more to enjoy it.Plus it may take 5 years under good growing conditions to give you any shade. just my opinion. lp

This is exactly right. I also have a new 12' Golden Weeping Willow (planted in April) and throughout the year a branch here or there will turn black and die. It isn't a mildew problem. Throughout the summer I have pruned back the black ones just to make it look not so ugly. This has caused no problems at all. Right now that the weather is cooler and there is more moisture it hasn't been blackening up at all. On a side note, I call this tree my rain gauge. If it starts to dry out, I know all my new trees need water. It is very clear about when it needs water and perks back up immediately when watered. If you have the room (which is the key), and don't plant it near your house, it is a great tree. Mine is about 300 feet or more from the house out in an acre of grove planted trees.

It is clear you do not yet understand pruning techniques, so unintentional haphazard pruning is a real possibility. 'I don't mind if the back side is a hot mess. It can be ugly...no one will see it...' doesn't instill confidence. Yes, it will show! I can see the branches and foliage of the back of my tree when viewing it from the opposite side. When the leaves are gone, and the bare branches show the form of the tree, I can see the entire tree. Have you considered putting the tree up for sale through Craig's List, or a gardening club, locally? It is a desirable tree and it hasn't been in the ground that long, so it should not be as difficult to move as an established tree. You might be able to recoup a enough of your investment to be able to purchase another tree that would be perfect for the location. Trees are an investment in some ways; nice ones, in appropriate settings, can add $$ to the value of a house when sold. Mature trees that are not in appropriate places, or are an eyesore, detract from the value because buyers consider the cost and effort it will require to have them removed, plus the cost to replace it with something appropriate and of sufficient size. You are receiving genuine advice from a lot of members. We don't always agree on everything, because we all have different horticulture experience and training. I have used my experience with my weeping birch to try to offer my best advice. I haven't seen any posts where members were not trying to help you.

I guess I am going to just put the 2 large ones in the ground and stake them up and hope for the best. I have strong doubts they will make it. If they don't I'll just pull them up. Now for the 4 that have roots. I guess I am going to start them in pots today. Keep them outside in the days for sun and at nights where it stays above 40 degrees. Our weather in NC is typically not brutally cold. We can have lots of days in the 50's or even 60's and nights in the upper 30's or 40's. But then get cold spells as well. Basically we are not Wisconsin or Maine where it just gets cold and stays cold. On nights where it drops below 40 I will bring them in the house. I guess I have no choice but to do it this way until late Winter or early Spring until I can put them directly into the ground when they are a bit more hardy with some soil roots developed. If they fail, then I suppose that's just the way it goes. Does that sound fine? Or should I just leave the pots in doors for a couple more weeks to give the roots time to settle in the soil. And then expose them to some cooler days in the 50's to harden them off and then just set them out side for good? [I do have an unheated building I can set them it too]