I'm in mid-MI in a transition area between 5b-6a, though I'm able to over-winter almost all zone 6 plants in the ground. I have a LOT of plants in terracotta, as you can see in the background of this shot of a pair of Ficus cuttings soon to be going out to a friend These plants are all potential bonsai. I have no problem with breakage unless I leave them on the benches too long and they freeze (outdoors) when the soil is wet. Even though the soil sometimes freezes in the pots while the plants are in the garage, I never seem to have any breakage of the terra cotta there. If you have only a few plants, setting the plants on the floor will help guard against breakage. Most think the floor is colder because cold air sinks, but plants on the floor are able to take advantage of geothermal heat conducting through and radiating from the floor. If the pots are directly on the floor, they will remain quite a bit warmer than pots you isolate from the floor by putting them on something like a table or anything that insulates them from the heat coming from the floor. This is particularly important if you're likely to leave the door(s) open for extended periods during extreme cold. Al

"If not peat, what is the medium comprised of? I can't see enough of the label to know which of the many Scotts products this might be. From that little bit I can see in the bag, it looks like it is all organic matter of some kind. Maybe coir?" My apologies for the delay. Here's a closer look at the bag:

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like I won't create a big problem by getting them out. I was just concerned that they have already had 180 days or so of growing season and are facing another 90 or so. I don't want them to think it is fall, and I also don't want them to think they are growing in Arizona and can laze around until December! We should be warming up into the mid 70's in a few days, so it won't be too much different at least during the day. Have had so many clouds the last week with all the rain that I didn't think the sun ever shone, but it will be out soon and doesn't take it long to get pretty hot. The air just doesn't hold a lot of heat, so you can roast on one side while needing a jacket on the other. The sun's rays, however, are more intense as you get higher in altitude. I'll put the trees where they will get mid-day shade and morning and late afternoon sun to start, and gradually work them into more sun until I can get my brother to get them planted. Have always been told that trees planted in the fall won't make the winter so really hated to wait until then figuring it was riskier, but then I've also always been told that a lot of things won't grow here and they are doing just fine. Many of the apricots are hardy here, particularly the older, smaller fruited ones, and apricots are probably the second most common fruit tree after apples. Still, you hope for fruit a couple years out of ten as the blossoms will usually freeze. This year, 4 of my 5 producing trees have a few apricots on them. Most of the flower buds seem to have winter killed and there were only a few scattered flowers.

I always grow my mints in pots because I am afraid to allow them the freedom of open ground. Every fall I sink them into a raised veggie bed and they always come back. I dug up some Cimicifuga in the fall because it wasn't doing well in an area that was not moist enough, I assume. We didn't get to replant before winter and they spent the entire winter above ground in a pot on the north side of a stockade fence and happily came back! Terrene...have you ever tried Lavender Lady? That is the only one that grows for me. I've had some for a long time and I wintersowed more in 2007 and not only did they come back, but the base of the stems was full of new growth very early this year. I am surprised, Linnea, if you have a problem with Sedum Purple Emperor. Mine came through the winter. In the past, I have left Autumn Joy outside all winter in pots near my front steps where water would drip into them and freeze into a solid block, then thaw and repeat and in the spring would fill with water for days before it thawed out completely. I was shocked that they survived this treatment year after year. I consider Sedum AJ to be indestructible...lol, and thought it applied to all sedums. Not sure about the PEmperor. pm2