The Ravages of Winter

We've been spoiled with at least eight mild winters - until December, 2009.  Usually, since I live on the south side of Lake Conroe, December "northers" are tempered by the warm lake water and my place is about the same temperature as Houston, 60 miles to the south. At least until January and February when the lake has cooled a bit.  But the December cold front was vicious and my south-facing porch got down to 26 degrees (23 was forecast).

Nothing to do but suffer it.  As reported earlier, I had transplanted the four air-layered schefflera trees to an indoor spot.  They continue to do well, but obviously would prefer some warm sunshine and fresh rain.  I had no doubt that the air layering would succeed because that's the best way to propagate most cuttings if they are difficult to root in water.

Still I wondered if i t would have been possible to root these 1.5-inch cuttings in water. So I cut another foot or so from each trunk and put them in a vase with rooting hormone stirred into the water.  Six weeks later I see I have some leaf buds sprouting above the water and some unusual white bumps on the bark that's below water.  This might work, too!