Hi Hawkeye! I think you should get off as much as you can without damaging the roots. Shake off what you can & then you can use the hose to gently rinse more of it off. If there's some you can't get out without too much trouble I don't think it will cause you any problems. Happy growing!

You can dip it into a large tub of water and swish it around gently and most of the soil will come off the roots.

Thanks. I thought it would be best to remove most old dirt. Now, when is best time to repot? While it is still cold? Wait until dogwoods bloom? Or wait until it is hot?
Hawkeye

Hi Hawkeye,

Like Emily and Bill mentioned, it is in the best interest of the tree to get rid of most of the soil as possible if you are switching to the gritty mix. Leaving a very small amount and not making yourself go crazy while removing the soil will be fine. Think of it as bare rooting your tree and replanting into a different medium.

I made a post last year about repotting into the gritty mix and I showed how I soaked the rootball and made the mix on my Celadine . I will check in a few and look for the thread.

Your tree will do better if you wait for Spring or early summer to change the mix. You want your tree to be in the active growth mode so it is in the best healthy environment for the overall vitality of your tree.

Good luck!

Laura