Winterizing outdoor pots

We bought these huge pots from a Chinese grocery in LA's Chinatown about a gazillion years ago. We spotted them outside behind the store with all the used cardboard boxes, baskets, and other shipping crates. I think they charged us $8.00 each for them and were amused that we would want the containers left over from shipping 1000 year old eggs (they did have a funny smell).

This being Oregon and all, they will collect water over time and if left alone, said H2O will freeze, come winter. If you don't remove the ice cap, the expansion of the water as it re-freezes the next night will crack the pot.

two frozen discs

Mr. Cranky takes out the ice and turns the pots over and that is all it takes to preserve them for another year.

I know, I know, we could just turn them upside down before it freezes. Where is your sense of adventure anyway?

We keep a couple of the larger ones upside down permanently, the shallow depression on the bottom makes a perfect birdbath.