Wxman good job!
I'm glad to hear about your success. They look great. If you saw what I do with my plants, no using the heater is not excess. You know as well as I do how cold it can get around here. It's fun pushing the limit isn't it? I'm glad to know I'm not alone up here.
Timmko when I planted my basjoo 10 years ago everyone told me I couldn't do it. Yeah it takes some work but the end result is well worth it. Give it a try next year. It's true you never know what each winter will be like, and next spring my plants might be trashed, but it's worth trying. I'm sure you will have great success and we are all here to help you out.