Long story short, I have obtained two branches from a small tree (might have been 8 feet tall, no thicker than that was stripped of its branches by the snow over the winter. I would like to regrow them to replace the tree (if it doesn't survive on its own), but do not know what to do.
One of the branches is about 4 feet long, the other 1 foot.
I stripped the bark from a few inches at the bottom of each and placed them in water. The larger one sits outside, and the smaller one inside, under a bright light (on a shelf for growing plants).
It's been a few weeks, and the buds on both branches turned to leaves, but they have begun to turn yellow and wilt, especially on the smaller branch. I think this would be because of a lack of nutrients. On the advice of a biology teacher at a local school, I put 3 drops of a liquid fertilizer in the water of the smaller branch, but it had no noticeable effect.
I've heard that there is powder that can be used to stimulate growth of roots. I think this might be what I need, but I have no if it's the best idea, what else I'll need to use it.
What should I do to save these branches?