Awesome, Jenn, I love a happy ending!

The 5-1-1 is my "work horse" around the yard, but the Gritty will buy you more time
betwixt re-pottings (assuming a large enough container, of course).

Josh

Thank you, Josh!

Except for seasonal veggies, how long would you say your 5-1-1 pots last before you need to re-pot?

Well, it really depends.

Something I do that increases the longevity of my mix is using uncomposted fir bark.

I've never pushed my mixes beyond two years because I've always needed to move up
in pot-size before the mix actually started to compact. That said, I do have one container
with a Giant Chainfern in a 5-1-1 mix that's over two year's old, and the bark is just now
beginning to degrade. I would confidently use the 5-1-1 for two seasons, as long as the
container is of a sufficient size to support two seasons worth of root-growth.

Some caveats, however. High and low temperatures, frequent watering in hot areas,
use of organic fertilizers, et cetera, will all conspire to shorten the life of your 5-1-1.

Josh

Oh, you must know how I feel about the combination of Citrus trees and these wonderful mixes!

Great work and beautiful citrus you have there!

Mike

Way to go, Jenn. You've done well. Good job!

Al

Thanks, Josh. We will plant the Meyer and the Kumquat in the garden later in fall. We live in a former citrus grove and have a very happy old Tangerine (Dancy??) tree that thrives, so they should be happy in our soil. In the ground, we won't need to worry about re-potting every couple of years -- our backs aren't getting any younger. :)

Mike and Al: Thank you!

For best success, make sure you correct root issues that carry the potential to cause problems before transplanting. Girdling, encircling, intertwined, and J-hooked roots, as well as those roots growing back toward the center of the root mass should go at transplant time.

Al

Al: Thanks for the advice; we'll be sure to do that. In fact I've thought about that step whenever I think about where to transplant it. Would we also need to remove any of the foliage?