f you want it to go dormant, get it cold again. I live in Texas myself so I
understand about the releafing out.

You will have to water it more while it is leafed out, but just not too much
nor too little. Whether the tree is dormant or not, if it dries out too much
it will die, so don't use the cutting back on the water to try to make it go
dormant -- use the lower temperatures.

You could probably bury the pots in a south facing bed against the house,
too, but I've never lived further north than Dallas so...I'm not sure I'd
take my word for that. In Austin and Houston, I leave my pots out where they
do freeze a few days or weeks a year so I know a light freeze doesn't kill
even potted roots.


My size pot is about a foot deep and 17" wide. I do get a lot of south sun this
time of year, but by January it would be just a little. I'm going to experiment
and try to grow this indoors now that it sprouted new leaves and just
fertilized, which I rarely had done to my 15 year old garden shrub, and it
keeps on flourishing. The watering is a puzzle. You say water it occasionally
and not very much. But if i don't see water coming into the saucer, then those
bottom roots would not get any water and may die. Wouldn't that kill the plant
then? BTW, this pot is too heavy to move around. Almost broke my back. Do you
know how I can 'lighten' the soil as to make it moveable for the future? Thanks