Once they have dropped their leaves and gone dormant, after a good hard freeze or so, I get out the hand cart and engage a brave friend. We say our prayers, then wheel them one by one over my hilly garden, down to the unheated barn.
I will certainly meet my end someday under one of these big pots, when I am manning the downhill side of this hauling operation.
I make sure that they are well-watered during the fall, so that they go into storage well-hydrated—and therefore less prone to dessication while in there. No water is offered in the coldest months, when the soil and the trees inside the building are mostly frozen, but I start checking around February, once the slightly longer days are starting to nudge plants to awaken, when they may need a little—especially in March and April.
My barn has windows that let in a little light, but that’s not needed, or even wanted; darkness is perfectly fine for dormant things, and late in the winter or early in spring, too much light will just make them want to awaken faster than you desire.
I keep the pots inside as long as I can—sometimes right up until the end of April—and I don’t move them into their season-long spots (which are far from any easy cover, should nights get frosty) until the weather really settles. I simply wheel them out and Read more on awaytogarden.com