Hey all. I robbed the bank! I'm really shocked.... about the tree, not the bank. I pulled a leaf with a 6" stem from the young healthy maple tree at the bank. I brought it home and made some rooting hormone from my local poplar trees. Dipped the lower portion in the hormone, stripped all the leaves but the very top 2. I potted it in some used mix that looked like a good starting soi. I believe it's peat and I can see some perlite in there. I placed a cloudy vegetable bag over it and kept it moist but not soggy.

OK. It's in a small plastic pot.. about 5" diameter and about 6" tall. Then, I placed it in the corner of my covered porch on a open show-case shelf. Seemed the perfect spot away from any direct sunlight but exposed to the excellent temperatures we've had this fall (70-85).

It has sprouted roots. It's only been 2 weeks!

Being the newbie with too many questions for self-control or patience, I uncovered the roots to see them. 2 of them grew out at that "point" .. don't know what you call it. And they are about 1" long each.

Those top 2 leaves aren't dead but really dry. I can see green and a tiny bit of new growth at those 2 "points" on the stem above the soil. (The place where new growth for leaves or roots occurs. Sorry, don't know what it's called.

It's getting colder... down to 45 degrees at night.

I have no idea what to do with it, to begin with. But, especially, I don't know what to do with it getting colder.

Do I leave it out there? It'll be a couple weeks before the first freeze.

This will be used as a bonsai.. not real sure how I'll work that in. I need to order a book about bonsai, really.

I'd appreciate any suggestions so I don't kill it.

If I bring it indoors I have a light issue, but with a lot of fussiness I could probably help it survive.

Do I need fert it with worm tea? Now? Later?
Will it survive outside this young?