Move it on when it needs it, and not based on season or weather. Chances are it's overdo, woody nursery stock is often presented to the retail market in a pot-bound condition. In part because containers in correct proportion to plant tops make these last appear under-sized to end consumers.

I think when you buy any container grown, mass produced tree or shrub in North America these days, you have to check the roots immediately. And, quite possibly, have to fix them and up-pot it. Embo makes a great point that consumers have probably gotten used to huge plants in little pots. But keeping an eye out for that is not a fail-proof way to avoid problems...I've gotten azaleas that were in big 5 gallon pots when they looked like 1 gallon plants, but, lo and behold, someone just plopped a totally knotted 1 gallon plant into that huge pot!

You could make an exception for a boutique nursery you know doesn't have the problem. I've almost never gotten a root/pot bound plant at Baltimore holly nursery McLean Nursery, for example. I used to think Rarefind didn't have the problem and was told they try to address it with their workers, but I've discovered serious problems years down the road on some of their plants, too.

Anyhow, JMs are vigorous and if it hasn't outgrown 1.5 quarts, it will soon.

So I was wrong...its pretty small.. actually a 0.54 quart container..

If it were mine, I'd soak it in a bucket of water for 15-20 minutes and then up-pot it in a day or two being gentle with the roots. Is the ultimate goal to put it in the ground or keep it in a pot?

tj

Another picture.. this one will most likely stay in a pot

I would re pot now into a ~ 2-3 gallon container for the first couple of years, and pot up if needed. Whenever I received my new plants (throughout the year mostly from mail order of 1 gallon from Lucile Whitman), I potted up to 3 or 5 gallon container right away. I don't soak in water. I only disturb the root if there is serious root bound issues. Otherwise I just put the plant and the original soil into the bigger container with minimal disturbance. All my maples have been doing really well after repotting.

i would repot or plant.. in dormancy ... leafless .. to avoid the stresses of such ... see link on timing .... that said ... if you have one tree to take care of.. you can probably get it thru a repotting ....

i like the idea of a bigger pot.. being more water retention capable ... but i would either.. just do pot in pot ... put the pot and all in a bigger pot.. which will add stability from wind.. temper heat to the smaller pot ... etc ... or remove the pot.. and put it into the larger pot.. without much root mangling ...

and then in fall ... after the leaves turn color.. i would unpot.. bare root.. do any requisite root surgery.. and either plant it in mother earth for winter.. or repot it properly ...

is there a reason it cant go in the ground in fall .... wintering over pots has its own risks ...

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

There really isn't any difference between up-potting a small containerized plant and planting the same in the ground......they both can be done any time the urge or desire moves you and the plant is available:-)) It's when you get into the issue of root pruning a larger containerized tree that you should wait until dormancy. Otherwise, it's just planting and that can be accomplished at any time during the growing season :-)

Interesting to note that those who advocate doing so now are the ones with a number of containerized JM's.......experience is a great teacher :-)

FWIW, with these smaller collector sized plants or even smaller containered JM's (2G containers or less), I have never encountered issues with any root problems, like circling, girdling or even heavy root congestion. Larger trees and shrubs, yes, but these smaller specimens have apparently not been left in too small a container for too long. Another good reason to start small :-))

the difference between gal in the cool rainy PNW .. is that her location really doesnt know what a midwest 100 degree July/august summer might be ... and they can get away with a lot of things i might never get away with ... especially on a larger property where you might have many things to attend to .. and forget about something ...

its not really that one or the other of us is right or wrong .... imo ... its just.. location.. location.. location ...

if this is your one babe.. and you will be fondling it every evening.. and can perfect care ... do whatever you want ...

but 2 thumbs up for gal spotting that a specimen of this size.. most likely wont have severe root issues ... it just hasnt been in the pot long enough ... usually ...

besides.. i was leaning towards giving a newb bulletproof info ... as compared to what someone with 200 years experience might do ... lol .... werent you in grad school with darwin, gal?? .... forgive me ... lol ...

ken

jalcon is not a newbie :-) He/she has been participating on the Maples forum for some time. And while I agree that in the heat of midsummer is not an ideal time to plant or up-pot, it can still be done if one takes that situation into consideration.

I'm getting old, Ken.......but not that old!!! Lol!

I am with Gardengal on re pottting. If just to pot up without root pruning, I can do that anytime, even in the middle of summer, using appropriate potting mix and water well right after potting, keeping them out of afternoon sun the first year. They all do fine. My maple count now is 42, 27 of them are in containers and they are very happy campers.

He/she has been participating on the Maples forum for some time.

==>>> good to know .. i just presumed newb ...

I'm getting old, Ken.......but not that old!!! Lol!

==>> i was worried you lost your sense of humor ... glad to see you didnt ... i was going to go back to Linnaeus .... but then you would have been 310 years old ... give or take ... what some might call.. tree time... lol

anyway jal.. if you have the experience.. just wing it ... and baby it for a week or two.. until the roots get pumping again ... besides.. it at the perfect price point to experiment on.. not some $300 test plant ...

ken