Hi everyone. I'm struggling with how best to treat my olive this winter and could use suggestions. It is about 2 to 3 year old arbequina, around 5-6 ft tall of which about half is new growth this year. I repotted it this year into something fairly large, but not so big that I can't carry it when it is not too wet. Last year I overwintered indoors near a SE facing window (no SW windows unfortunately)and it had some nice growth. It also flowered around February but these fell off and never developed fruit. I was please with that last year, but this year I would like to see if I can hang onto some fruit. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think they are supposed to bloom in the summer, so I guess I tricked it into thinking it was summer when I brought it in last fall. I am in Charlottesville which is zone 7A. It also stays on the back deck (I live in a townhouse with no real yard)which is a little colder than near the ground, I am sure, but probably pretty protected from the wind.

So, should I:

1. Leave it out as long as I can and bring it in sometime in late fall/early winter when it starts getting in the 20's.

2. Leave it out all winter and do my best to bring it in if I think it is getting particularly cold.

3. Bring it inside now (while the temp is close to what it is inside) and put it back out when the worst of the winter weather is done.

I'm leaning towards option 3, but definitely would like to hear from people.