Should I plant or wait?

6 years ago

I recently got a Pinus thunbergii 'Shirome Janome' for my front yard that gets full sun. It's currently sitting in my back yard getting morning sun and acclimating to the TX heat (it's a 3 gallon/~3ft tree that came from northern CA) and seems to be doing well.

The question I have is should I plant it now or containerize it and wait until fall? I can shade it for a while out front to ease the transition, but am not sure if it's the right move.

Featured Answer

treebarb Z5 Denver

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

I'm surprised the A and B team of experts haven't responded yet! I'm probably on the C team, so take it for what it's worth. I live in Colorado and I finished up my conifer planting for the spring season 3 weeks ago. I think I would hold it over for fall planting, especially since you haven't hardened it off to full sun yet. I think if you plant it out now, you'll fry it.

I might tip it out of it's pot and check the root system. If it's not pot bound, I'd leave it in it's current pot. If it looks pretty congested, I might loosen up the roots lightly and up-pot it to a larger container. I would not do full on root surgery this time of year. Keep it where it is until it recovers from the up-potting and then gradually acclimate it to more sun over the summer. Once your temps cool in fall, it'll be ready to plant out.

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Comments (7)

DeanW45
6 years ago
Perhaps I'm the D team. I lack patience, which is kind of funny, since I love plants, and it's a hobby that necessitates some degree of waiting around for stuff to happen. My advice depends on your tolerance for risk and the amount of time and effort you'd like to expend. If you like living dangerously, and you have time to ensure the rootball never completely dries out, plant it. Otherwise, wait until fall.
nyya_8b_centraltx thanked DeanW45
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nyya_8b_centraltx
Original Author
6 years ago
I appreciate the feedback and think i'll wait til fall. I did already do the first part (yay, I did something right) as it was super pot-pound when I got it, so I did put it in a larger pot with a 5-1-1 mix and it seems to be doing well.

I'd probably be on the F team, since I'm so new to all of this. I previously failed to keep a cactus alive, but this season have jumped in with somewhere in the region of 20 plants/trees (mostly conifers) and a veggie garden.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
if it hadnt been sold in spring.. it would have stood in that pot until fall .. i wouldnt repot .. figuring.. why stress it now ... and when it barely gets over that stress.. in tree time.. stress it again with a fall planting ...

i would put it where the pot isnt in sun ... but if possible.. the tree is ... or just very bright shade on the whole ... dont want to cook the roots in a black pot .. or the side that faces the sun ...

pines in pots.. prefer a sip of water.. and then full complete drainage ... so they prefer it on the dry side ... but that doesnt give you a lot of leeway.. when you forget about it for 2 months ... lol ... but whatever you do.. imo ... dont keep it constantly wet ...

i never had much luck with this plant.. regardless of whatever i dreamed up to deal with it ... so good luck with that ... [and that is why i hesitated to answer before]

some suggest.. you really arent a hardcore gardener.. unless you have 100 pots sitting around.. for the next proper planting season .. lol .. especially after mid to late summer bargain shopping ....

ken
wayne
6 years ago
Protect the pot/ roots from the sun
Embothrium
6 years ago
It will be a lot harder to keep the roots from cooking in the pot than in the ground. Depending on where it came from in n. Calif. it could have been growing in a hot summer climate also - as soon as one gets away from the outer coastal fog belt there it often bakes in summer.
nyya_8b_centraltx
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Thanks for all of the input and replies, I appreciate it. For everyone who is concerned about the roots cooking in the pot: it's not in a black pot and I did set it so the pot itself is almost completely shaded from the sun. Hopefully that will help.

Embothrium, it is from a nursery right on the coast in CA, so I am pretty sure it isn't used to this level

of heat, unfortunately.

Since it's been so hot out, I've been checking the soil of all of my plants and trees daily and will continue to do so as I have a bunch that I am working on getting established/keeping alive. I'm working hard to not overwater as well. I did that earlier in the season with a japanese maple that is starting to recover from my efforts.

Based on the feedback, I think I will wait to plant it and just work on keeping it watered appropriately. Ken, I will keep your comments in mind. It seems to be draining pretty well.