What geographic location?

I live in Brookeville, Maryland
It has been fairly damp outside these past couple of days.

how big is it???

it should probably be up-potted to at least a one gal ...

trees usually do NOT need a lot of water in winter .. they are not houseplants.. nor annuals and perennials.. that like soggy wet media ...

a pic would sure get you more info .. based on the actual plant you have in hand ...

i am not sure i would ever place a 4 inch pot outdoors.. there is not enough media to protect it from the vagaries of mother nature .... most likely it came from a greenhouse ... and i would never put a 4 inch pot in sun .. to easy to cook the roots ...

and again.. it is not a houseplant.. so i dont know why it should spend too much time indoors ... why do you bring it in every night.. is it not zone appropriate???? .. which is what bboy is probably wondering about ...

at a minimum.. i would pot the 4 inch pot.. in a one gal pot .. pot and all as they say .. just for stability of pot temps and wind .. i dont know these conifers.. nor your zone.. so i dont know if now is the proper time to repot the thing ...

and i would not fed it.. nor fertilize it ... during winter ...

will it be planted in the ground.. come proper planting season????

pic please .. for scale.. so we understand what we are dealing with ..

ken

Here is what it looks like currently.
The stake in the pot is about a foot tall.
At the time of this photo it is cloudy and very damp.
I bring the plant in each night so no animals get at it. The zone it is in is a reasonable planting zone but I plan to plant it in the ground next spring. This is the third day I have had this plant.

Another pic

I am unsure on what I should use to water it and what extra care is needed to keep it healthy over the winter.

--->>> first off.. its much smaller than i imagined..

well.. you use water ... [pun intended] ... no fert ..

it looks awful damp ... lift in your hand.. and weigh it.. let it lose half its water weight.. before you water it again ...

does the second pot have drainage.. or is that just to hold it up???

bottom line.. its a tree .. if you dont drown it.. you should be all set ...

but from your words above ... i fear you might try to love it to death ... again.. its a tree .. aka conifer ... all it needs until spring is PROPER WATERING ... and i explain that as a damp media.. not dripping soggy wet ....

last thing.. that is not a stake.. that is a shipping aid ... which may or may not be used as a stake ...

i still wouldnt bring it in MY z5 house.. it would be just fine taking it in and out of the garage [in your zone.. it would be dead in mine] ... in my house.. its the forced heat.. that would be a problem.. read that.. lack of humidity ...

so start reducing your love potential.. by putting it in the garage.. and not next to your bed every night.. lol .. and if there is a handy shelf near a window.. i might not even take it out of the garage [though the black pot would be protected from direct sun]... unless the garage heats up a lot on sunny days .. and that might not be good .. we dont want to trigger early spring flush ... we want it to stay in its slow motion winter phase ...

good luck

ken

ps: and i would call that a 2.5 [2.25??] inch pot.. w/o a scale ... it HAS TO BE OUT OF IT.. by spring ... at which time you will gently pull it out of the pot.. snap a pic.. and start a new post.. on how to plant it.. or up-pot it ... and then stick it back in the pot.. until we give you advice on root surgery.. if any ...

How'd this tree turn out gregplantaine7? Mine in NJ (zone 6B) grew 2 feet this summer, though its been in the ground for almost 4 years now.