Best to bury them against the north side of a building out of sun and wind. There are some problems associated with overwintering in a garage, & you can read a little more about it here.

Al

Al,
What about an unheated shed? Would that be a better option than an unheated garage that's attached to the house?

You should bury them pot and all and you can use rose cones or organic matter to completely cover them and while snow accumlates, continue to completely cover them with the snow. Again, out of sunlight and up against a structure where less/no wind will prevail.

Dax

Hi, Tony. The trouble you'll inevitably encounter while overwintering in a building (especially if there is/are contributing factors like a south facing window) is early bud-break - as much as 4-6 weeks earlier than their in-ground counterparts. When that occurs, you need to get them outdoors into the light to prevent the extremely long internodes associated with reduced photo intensity and accompanying weak growth, without freezing them. You'll either need to remove all the early growth or risk destroying the tree's appearance by having two different growth habits on the tree. It really can be quite unsightly, unless you're not too picky. The alternative is to load the trees on a wagon or cart, & wheel them in and out as temperatures allow, because you need to keep them above around 35* or risk cold injury from gross temperature changes.

I overwinter about 125 temperate trees, of which many are deciduous, so I know the problems associated with overwintering in a garage or outbuilding. I have too many trees to fuss with burying them, so that's where I overwinter, moving them in and out on a big wagon at Mother Nature's whims for a month or so each year before I can put them permanently on the grow benches. It's a pain and you'd better not forget if your tree went into dormancy in a weakened condition the fall prior. If you lose early foliage on a weakened/stressed tree, it could easily kill it if it hasn't the stored energy to push another flush.

So put it in the ground if you can. Here is something you might want to make for yourself if you do:

{{gwi:17425}}
Al

Hmm....I guess I'm being dense tonight. What is that and what would I do with it? I see that it's PVC, but what do you do with it?

So I should bury the pots and then pile the leaves on? And keep piling even when it snows?

Thanks for helping this newbie out!

-- Tony

When you mulch, you'll be making a nice warm bed for mice & voles within squeaking distance of your Acers. You can't see it too well in the pic, but the open ends are cut at a 45* angle & the short end goes down so the long end can help keep out weather. I know - get to the point - right? ;o) If you fill the center tube with rodenticide nuggets in 1/2 inch size, it will keep the area free of mice and voles for the duration of the winter - unless you have an aversion to such treatment. Covering the dispenser with a flat rock or piece of plywood & a weight will keep non-target animals from accessing the hidden bait.

I used to have major vole damage in the lawn, gardens, and trees - but no more. Use it if you like - disregard if you don't.

Al

I have garaged my trees (about 20 in pots) for several years. I do move them in and out. 15* seems to be the temperature people reference, but I make allowances for winds. I really move them back out as early as possible. Then if a freak deep cold spell comes, I garage them again. It is work, but so is burying the pots. I've had normal growth and haven't lost a tree yet doing this. The garage also has skylights which I can open. You really have to monitor temperatures pretty closely, but it works.
David
Larchmont, NY