first go here it is the ONLY zone map that worth looking at PERIOD...It goes by counties and I don't know yours.

http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jhtml?categoryid=/templatedata/bhg/category/data/gardening_zone_hardiness_07032001.xml

Secong I would put it in the covered shed when it starts to get cold perferably after leaf fall unless you get one of those beloww zero septembers and put some insulation around the pot...also if it's a tiny pot repot in fall into a bigger one NOT humoungous but give it some non freeze zone ...water only once a month or so lightly...take out when weather gets warm during days and put back in at night if it's gonna be below freezing ...yah I don't think any palmatums are zone three if thats what you are...zone three is defintly "in a pot only " country...David

thanks david i was wondering if i should wrap some insolation around the pot if i do that should i also wrap it lightly around the tree or just the roots and the shed is dark will that be ok

adam

I don't think it would hurt the tree but honestly I don't know if it will help much, you don't want to injure branches while "wrapping "... alot of times folks put cardboard and such totally aroung the tree that is fenced in against critters if left OUTSIDE...and yes dark is good ...Most folks say away from windows.... that the light during warmer periods might wake it up ( I assume)..It needs to go into dormancy and stay there til it's ready to put outside at least during the day ...although I am not an expert and someone here might have more to add...you can also bury the pot outside and insulate as above but your area may be a bit cold for that ...David

There are quite a few people in z3 and z4 that plant them out in the ground and then take proper care for winter protection by building a structure around them and filling them in with leaves... I don't know what the extremes and averages are as far as low temps go in Missoula, Montana, but Crimson Queen is one of the hardier lace leafed maples, from what I've read, but I doubt hardiness much below -25F and that would be for only a brief dip in the temps...

If you intend to keep the maple in a container, the most important consideration is to protect the roots from severe cold. The small volume of soil in a container will freeze much more deeply than the ground and roots are generally less cold hardy than the wood. If it's possible to store the plant in a cool basement after leaf fall but before severe cold, this would be best. I think survival would be pretty doubtful in an unheated shed. Crimson Queen is quite hardy but Z4/5 doesn't seem realistic for outdoor planting, especially for a young specimen. Leaf filled protective structures can work, but unless the leaves remain dry they will lose their insulation value and invite fungal infection.

Im have no problem keeeping it in a basement but moisture may be a problem and of course if you have a water problem or a iffy sump pump it may not be best ...I know my basement has fluctuating temps from 55-75 degrees...so it would just depend ...usually an unheated shed will be 10 or more degrees warmer than the outside so i still think that would be ok and insulating the pot should answer any of maines concerns...hell if it's a dirt floor you could bury the pot there.. David

Mine are in my unheated garage during our winters and it gets usually about 10 deg warmer than outside on those cold days. I think it dipped to maybe 10-15 deg or so this year in there and I had 0 dieback on the 7 maples I had in pots. I only watered maybe once a month at most during the warmer days and not too deeply. If your shed get really cold, I would wrap the pots in insulation for some extra help. I say shed like David.

I'm planning to keep my maple containers in a farm shed that is heated to just above freezing, probably ranging from 30-40 degrees all winter. Is that going to be ok, or will it actually be too warm? Do Japanese Maples have any low temp. requirement in order to break dormancy?

I had a crimson queen 3 gallon, in zone 5. It wasnt the best looking tree so i didnt care too much and made a pile of leaves around the pot, not even in the ground. We had the worst winter in a while and when
Spring '11 came the crimson queen bloomed and it actually looked better than previous year.

I just purchased a Golden Full Moon Maple, approximately 45" tall in a 5 gallon pot. I intend on keeping it in a container. I live in the Chicago area. Would it work to winter it over in an unheated garage? Should the pot be wrapped in any way? Would it be beneficial to wrap the trunk and top in burlap? Suggestions, please.

Damage to JM roots in containers begins to occur at 25F. You will want to make sure the temp inside the garage remains above that level. Wrapping the pot can help - bubble wrap is a better insulator than burlap. The top growth should not be affected by the cold as much and doesn't require wrapping, especially if out of any winter winds.

Sometime just stringing something as simple as Christmas lites around the pot can bring up the temperature several degrees.

Gardengal is right, and has great recommendations. I'm in zone 5b, and experimented with keeping JMs in pots outside over the winter in a very sheltered location. I've had mixed results. In the future I'd plan on putting them in the garage, wrapped with bubble wrap, and use a small amount of heat (like lights) when needed.

If our garage is too full, my plan is to build a temporary raised bed out of plywood, wrap the pots with bubble wrap, then place them in the raised bed (in that same sheltered location-- basically a narrow alley with walls/fences on three sides). I'll fill the bed with leaves and straw, and loosely wrap the trees in burlap to protect from wind.