ok, so I do not water them? I figured that I would not water the deciduous ones, but how often to water evergeens? they are on a patio.

you water ALL plants ... when they need water ...insert finger and find out ...

how that all works in your yard.. and in the media you have them in .... in your climate.. in your winter.. is left to your finger to find out ...

leafless or not.. dormant plants do NOT need a lot of water ...

at least in your zone.. you dont have to deal with the pots freezing solid when the soil does ...

i would also suggest you keep dormant plants in black pots.. out of winter sun.. you dont want the pot heating the roots .. and making the plant come out of dormancy early .... for fear of another cold snap ...

ken

Of course you must water them. The cells have to remain turgid throughout the winter or the cold will kill the tissues. As a matter of fact, timely watering is essential!

Logan, don't you have a real nursery in the area that you can visit, pick the growers' brains?

No we had a large nursery open however, it is permanently closed. I do know another home-based grower who I work with frequently. We don't have a good nursery industry here in NC, the only "real nursery" within 10 miles of me grows the annuals (petunias, begonias,etc.) and some perennials. I am growing large scaled trees, shrubs, and perennials. While I may not own a "real nursery" I produce better stock than you can find at the big box stores. Thanks for the feedback, I always have a clearance sale to get rid of the more common things but I have some plants that I am keeping to myself.

If you are in North Carolina, Plant Delights is a one day drive from almost anywhere in the state if you are willing to leave early enough...and it is certainly a real nursery. Of course they tend to be more about perennials than trees and shrubs. Among other reasons, because it's more profitable to produce and sell those plants on a large scale. But I can't blame him, overall...he's survived in a field where many other specialty nurseries have died or curtailed their operations. I'm just very careful about what I order from there because in some cases they are clearly rushed through production to get them to saleable condition. I've spoken about the issue with two extremely renowned horticulturalists in separate conversations and they agree with me.

I try to focus on quality instead of quantity. I am producing from home, less than 1 acre. We can only produce so much do to limited space. I also know a horticulturist from biltmore estate. The other home grower has a much larger scaled operation, and very good quality plants for the low prices.

Evergreens, depending on hardiness, might be best kept in a hoop house (no heat necessary) or some type of cold frame.

Hardy plants, including most deciduous potted trees, etc, should be set close together and piles of wood mulch poured around the containers to keep them from becoming thoroughly frozen.

You may also need to address a possible vole issue.

Certification and inspection information.

NC ranking in the US nursery industry. Actually, NC has a huge nursery industry....typically rated in the top 5 in the country.

Well, there aren't many in my area. We are going to look into the certification/inspection next year (I think it was like $20).