When to transplant?

I just looked at my pistachios and one pot (male starts) has half an inch of root sticking out the bottom! No new top growth yet.

I need to be careful and not jump the gun, so it won't get transplanted until at least next spring. My question is for people who have transplanted trees. So far I've mostly worked with 1) Already mature trees 2) Trees that can be easily replaced or 3) Trees that I start in the ground in their planned locaiton. I need some advice, since this is none of the three. Should I keep it inside, put it in the greenhouse (which I'm leaning toward) or leave it outside for the winter?

And would it be mature enough by next spring to survive? Or should I keep it in the pot for another year, JIC?

Lauren, I'm curious as to why you are waiting until spring to transplant. I have my best success when I transplant young trees in autumn. But then, I've never worked with pistachio trees, so perhaps that's special advice for that particular tree(?) From what I read, they're hardy through zone 7, so I don't think a fall transplanting would be a problem.

If roots are growing out of the bottom of the pot, then it's in danger of becoming root bound which will 1) stunt it and 2) eventually kill it. If I really wanted to wait until spring, I would at least transplant it to a larger pot with plenty of room for the roots.

Now, you've got me thinking about adding some pistachio trees! A favorite nut for sure.

i suspect they’d be best off in the ground over the winter. ‘fall is great time to transplant trees’ is what those roots are saying.

OK. Thanks.

It's not specific to pistachios--it's specific to my own ignorance on the topic. My concern is that the tree is a vegetative start and still showing no signs of top growth. I've transplanted too early before and lost them during the winter, so I thought spring would be better since I don't want to risk losing it. I'm planting the seedling nectarines this week, but they have a full summer behind them and actually have leaves as well as visible growth.

I can't replace this easily, so I thought I would err on the side of caution.

well, that twig doesn’t look too good, so i understand the hesitation. greenhouse or whole pot heeled into the ground outside are probably your better options.

greg mosser wrote:well, that twig doesn’t look too good, so i understand the hesitation. greenhouse or whole pot heeled into the ground outside are probably your better options.

There's still green under the skin, but it's the only one left. And the roots tell me that SOMETHING is happening.

Thanks for your help!