@quercusnut
This has been year 4 for me in pots and I have discovered it is the only way I can keep any alive. After all these yrs every single one I put in the ground is died after winter. I can finally buy them and know 100% all have survived. I lay them on their side and put some leaves on them and they are alive in the Spring.
My weather is to much of a temp swing and in between those temp swings we have a lot of rain that freeze. The plants were in the ground in solid ice because of the quick temp drop after hurricane rain depth of up to 4".