Hello All -

I have a pomegranate tree in a container stored in my garage over the winter that unfortunately already leafed out. I was hoping to do root pruning on it but it seems it is too late for that now. I am sure it must be root bound but am not sure if that is the reason why it has not flowered in the last couple of seasons (I have fertilized with foliage pro and it gets full sun all day). At this point can I pull the plant out of the container and perhaps cut off some of the bottom of the roots with a saw and some around the edges or is even that too drastic when the tree is not dormant? Should I wait until the tree is dormant to root prune and just try to loosen some roots around the sides (gently) for now and place it into a slightly larger pot for this year or should I do nothing?

And am I correct in assuming a pomegranate tree can be root pruned when dormant without killing the tree? If so how much of the roots can/should be removed. Is it the same as the general guidance I have seen posted here on the forum or would it be different for a pomegranate tree?

Thanks! Brian