Hi I am not patty but what I do before transplanting a tree. I check the weather and do it at the beginning of a cold front, just before a rain. do it before or during calm airs. Humidity helps. At the organic farm we place the trees in bright shade with no exposure to sunlight We rarely loose a plant. Don't over water. This doesn't work on citrus.

Steve

Steve,,,,Your last statement confused me...."This does NOT work on citrus?

Suzy, I am not Patty either, but gently remove the dirt from the tree, even if you have to rinse it out with a hose if you are looking to give it completely fresh mix..

If you are just wanting to pot up, the remove as much as rough up the edges a bit and the bottom then fill in with a fresh mix..

It does not matter when you transplant, as long as you do it right......People order bare rooted citrus trees all the time any time of the year and have to pot them up with success..

The BEST time to repot is in the spring, but any time will do.

Flooding with water does not work with citrus. It is more important to work with forgiving weather than give a lot more water to compensate. I to would do little more than just take the tree out of the small pot and put it in the new container with the new mix. At this point you don't want the tree relying on the inner dirt but to reach out into the new mix. with new roots.

Steve

Thank you very much to both of you. i was confused also mike

Ohhhh,

I see Steve...All you forgot to do was put a comma after" don't over water" to keep the thout flowing about over watering on citrus not working....No problem...

What a difference a period or comma can make in a suggestion...

Your welcome Suzy...
By the way, the reason I always , if potting up, scratch the sides of the root ball and the boottom is so that the new roots won't stick just to that root ball and not grow into the new mix..

In fact, I cut wedges in my root bound plants getting potted up, but you have to be brave to do that..:-)

Good luck

Suzy, all good suggestions. Now, if your rootball is NOT rootbound (roots circling around the ball), then you can simply lift it in its entirity, very carefully, and set it in the larger pot, after you're put your potting mix on the bottom of the pot enough so that the top of the current soil line will be at the top of the new soil line (i.e., don't bury your tree too deeply, or have it too high up, either). Then, carefully add potting mix around the sides. Water in carefully, and then add a bit more mix if the mix settles until it is even with the top. This is how some container folks have carefully re-potted so as not to disturb the rootball, and to lessen transplant shock. Water in, don't over-water, and then in about a week I would start fertilizing with 1/2 strength fertilizer. This is for container citrus that are NOT rootbound. As meyermike has suggested, for citrus that ARE rootbound, you do need to loosen up the roots gently, and trim any roots that are circling, or they're just continue to circle the new pot. More chance of having a little transplant shock, but you've got to get that poor tree in a bigger pot :-)

Patty S.

Thank you for the great advice again Patty. Did I tell you that I found 2roots from the trunk above the soil, I covered them and patted the soil down. Part of the trunk is touching the side of the pot. The tree still has fruit and I don't want to chance loosing the tree. Do you think that if I stake the tree I can wait to repot until after I cut all of the fruit? Only prob is it may be growing new buds.

I think it depends on how close your fruit is to ripeness, Suzy. The tree sounds like it is getting root bound, so you're going to have to decide if it can wait. Eventually you'll have to repot, so at some time there will be fruit, flowers or buds. It's just how citrus are, so there will be a little loss no doubt, due to some degree of transplant shock, but citrus are sturdy and they recover.

Patty S.

Most are dark green starting to turn yellow. A few are about an inch. Most are smaller,,I was hoping that they would grow sOon but you are right. I think that I will cut off what I can before repotting. I do not drive but am hoping to get it to the nursury Tomorow. I'll let you know what happens. I really really worry about the tree living. I Like it a lot and its special for a few reasOns too.

Thank you very very much patty. This prob has been bothering me for about a week. I do have a q? Before I go. Do you remember that the trunk is a little lose from the weight and tipping over. No more tipping now. Still do you think that it is getting root bound?

Well, I would have to see the roots to know for sure, but based on the size of the canopy, and what you've described, I'd bet it is.

Patty S.

Ok thank you very very much for the terrific help. Thank you for you Time too. I can always count on you.::)

Any time, I am alway glad to help