Although I don't plan it this way, this is pretty much how the timeline works out: First you have to have a few ratty old blankets & sheets. Then, when the nighttime temps get down to about 35°, you run outside with'em and carefully cover up the plants you're most worried about. This stage will often continue for 10 or more days. As the nighttime temps fall and the morning dew becomes ever heavier, you'll probably need to add to your stash of plant covers. I recommend nearly-worn-out rugs & towels. Ignore the dirty looks your neighbors give you on the days you don't have time to remove the covers before leaving for work. In my area Ma Nature usually begins to get serious about the whole Fall thing the 2nd week of October, sometimes with nighttime temps as low as 29°F. When this happens, a body has to shift into overdrive. First you must snatch any and all quilts, comforters, etc. off the beds, drag them outside, and heave them over the plants. Then back inside to the bathroom - grab every single towel you've got and artfully arrange them over the quilts & comforters. If you're still not sure, go for the throw rugs. Because all this stuff can get pretty heavy, you may have to haul a few chairs/stepstools/ladders outdoors to hold the weight off the plants. Remember, don't worry about the neighbors. Odds are that within a few days of you being left with no household linens the first real Hard Frost will occur. Here, Big Frost Day always starts off bright, warm, & sunny. You won't be at all worried about frost because earlier in the week the weatherguy told you not to be. On the way home from work you may notice that it's getting a wee bit cloudy - but you're still not worried as you once again go through the now-familiar nightly ritual of plant-covering. After supper you'll be watching the news on TV, all toasty in your jammies, and that damned liar of a weatherman will come on and cheerily inform you that there's a Hard Frost Warning for tonight. This news will play utter havoc with your happy thoughts and for a second - just a second! - you'll consider leaving your precious plants to fend for themselves. Then that little part of your mind that's somewhat unhinged will kick in and you'll leap to your feet and head to the rescue. After you've taken 5 or 6 steps you'll come to realise that it's raining and you're wearing slippers. Oh well, this won't take long! First you have to lift and drag the soaking-wet rugs, towels, sheets, old sweatshirts & boxer shorts, quilts, tablecloths, comforters, doilies, bedskirts, curtains, pillow shams, armrest covers, and every single afghan Grandma ever gave you off the plants without breaking anything. Obviously, this'd be a lot easier if it wasn't so dark. After all the coverings have been lumped in a giant, muddy heap, you can begin carrying the pots indoors. Well, I say 'carrying', but since the icy-cold rain is now pouring down, the pots will, by this time, be completely soaked. And really, really heavy. I'm pretty sure that cold water weighs more than warm. So drag/lug/roll the pots inside to their winter homes. For mine this is the carpeted front porch, which is horribly unfortunate, of course, since all the freakin' throw rugs will be outside in the soon-to-be-mouldering heap. Once you have all the plants inside that can fit, be sure to pick up the worms, chunks of mud, and gobbets of stuck-together leaves that fall off the bottoms. Before shutting the door to the porch you need to locate any cats or other small animals/children and remove them (they'll be digging in the pots). Luckily, you don't need to worry about cleaning anybody's paws since there're no dry towels. At this point you may want to remove your slippers and toss them outside. The first hard frost never happens on a Friday or Saturday night so you'll absolutely have to go to work the day after. Try not to worry about the neighbors... And that's how I decide when to bring in the plants.

Give them light. Withhold water for up to 10 weeks. I wouldn't wait for a sign they're going to bloom. I have about three dozen, and they are several different kinds. Some bloom reliably in February and March. Many don't bloom until I put them outside. Since I don't really have a cold place, most of mine actually bloom in June after about two months living outdoors. I think the cold nights they get at that time help. Once they are about five years old, almost all of them have bloomed every year regardless of how I care for them in winter. One thing I think does help is to feed them regularly in spring and summer. I use a 3-1-2 NPK formula with all minors.

i will yell ... NOT IF YOUR GROUND FREEZES ... and i am pretty sure your probably does ... bunch of cliches .....dormant trees need little water ... dont confuse a dry surface.. with moisture at root depth ... and if soil frozen.. its not like you can dig little holes to find out ... roots need air as much as water .. and if frozen into an ice cube.. no air ... i am sure this would all be different in warmer climes where soil doesnt freeze .... lastly ... these dudes cant predict tomorrows weather.. i have little faith in long term predictions ... try to keep some perspective of all the chicken little weather predictions ... too many peeps put their hoses away .. when raking leaves in late october ... you should be CHECKING moisture thru thxgiving ... and if need be.. ON NEW TRANSPLANTS... give them a late drink ... THEN PUT THE HOSE AWAY ... again .. i would not be all that worried about long established plants ... in our zone ... and lastly.. again.. lol ... you can waste a lot of money.. cracking hoses in very cold weather ... probably more money than the plants you are trying to save ... its hard to wind up a hose for winter storage... when its 40 degrees out ... ken

Bklyn, it looks like you are using the same lights as I. Nice. Are those L.E.D light bulbs? Socal very nice. I love that reflection. It looks very bright in there. NO wasted light for sure. Kvetch, you are not kidding there. I can't believe how LONG we have had this cold, snow, and below average temps, and it's not even winter yet. I keep looking at the ten day forecasters outlook and now I see 30's . no 40's. I think I am going to be sick. The ones on the porch I have to water often if I use a fan. If I don't use a fan, it can take a few weeks before they need watering, but they only stay moist thank God. The one in my all season porch, I have to water those every few days because it's much warmer in there, much more sunlight, and I also use fans. LOl. I hear you about window hogging..lol Right now my tree and orchids are competing for the best spot. Jenny, very nice. One of these days I am going to get an Australian lime. Does it produce lots of flowers that smell nice? I would go after the fragrance more than anything.. Laura, didn't it seem like yesterday when we were growing them all outside? Boy do I miss the days when all you had to do was use a hose..((( Yes, all the twist and turns one has to take to get around each tree can be such a pain. Very nice looking too.I hear you got a couple of scale? That's easy to get rid of once and for good. Let me know if you need a suggestion.)