JRM Repot

[ml_work]

I got a Japanese Red Maple - 1 gal pot, pot is full of roots. I plan to let this grow for a few years in a larger pot or ground. It is in full bloom now, but with the pot full of roots, so how risky would it be to slip out (it comes out easy) loosen the roots without cutting any, leave all the soil and place in a 3 gal pot? Or should I just wait until next spring?

Thanks
Michael

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Do you mean fully leafed out? If so, you probably need to leave the roots alone. Slip pot it to a slightly larger pot, or stick it in the ground until next March.

 

[Dav4]

I got a Japanese Red Maple - 1 gal pot, pot is full of roots. I plan to let this grow for a few years in a larger pot or ground. It is in full bloom now, but with the pot full of roots, so how risky would it be to slip out (it comes out easy) loosen the roots without cutting any, leave all the soil and place in a 3 gal pot? Or should I just wait until next spring?

Thanks
Michael

No risk at all...I just did something similar with some future landscape palmatums I'm growing out in pots for the next few years.

 

[MACH5]

Just tease the roots a bit without much disturbance and place in new container. It should do perfectly fine. I would suggest that next year you start taking a close look at the nebari. It is best (and necessary) to start addressing it early to avoid issues down the road.

 

[ml_work]

Brian, yes it is full bloom all leaves are open about 4' tall. Dave and Mach thanks for your advice too. The main thing is getting it into a larger pot to keep it from falling over so easy, the wind today keeps blowing it over as the top is full and tall. Sounds like all agree it is safe to move to larger pot.

Thanks,
Michael