Go ahead and transplant now, especially if your little guy is marinating in crappy "dirt' aka Peat Pudding. There may be an optimal time such as spring but you live in San Diego for pete's sake. Probably no such thing as a 'bad' time to transplant there.

Just remember to:
- soak the bark overnight first
- keep the roots wet during the transplant
- get as much of the "dirt" off the roots as possible with a strong jet from the hose
- be prepared to water a couple times a day for the first few days, maybe up to a week
- buy a back brace if your container is any bigger than 5gal

I agree with Oxboy's advice, given your San Diego location. Better to get the tree re-potted before the leaves begin to open - and it sounds as though that'll be soon with your current weather. Also, you'd probably want to remove any fruit that sets this season in order to encourage branch development and foliage growth.

Josh

Thanks guys! I appreciate it. Those are some good tips. Should I start fertilization with Foliage Pro right away when the transplant is complete?

No, don't fertilize immediately after transplanting.
Wait two weeks to resume fertilization. In this case, your tree is not in leaf, so it's not going to be using as much nutrients. I like to use a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote, worked into the mix, and then increase liquid fertilization as the season progresses.

Josh

Thanks for the advice. That helps a lot. How much Osmocote do you think should be mixed into the Gritty Mix? The containers are probably 10 or 15 gallons.

What are your containers made out of? Gritty in 15gal will be whoa daddy heavvvvvvy and unwieldy.

Hard to say, exactly....but I add 1 Tablespoon per 5-gallon container (for my peppers). So I guess that would be about 2 - 3 Tablespoons for a larger container. I generally use the 5-1-1 mix with big containers. However, I don't keep my trees in the same container very long (after a year or two, I put the peach tree in the ground).

Josh

Hey Oxboy, I chose 15 gallons because I was planning on leaving the tree in the pot for 5 years and wanted it to be able to have enough room for growing roots. Should or could I use a smaller container? That would be great if I could, without having to re-pot or root prune annually.

Besides the weight in the gritty mix I would worry about heat build up because of the granite. I would think the roots will fry. What you guys get about 2 chills hours a year?
Speaking of which can you meet the chill requrment for Pix Zee? It's a low chill at about 400 hours, but you don't get that in San Diego. You're better off growing more tropical fruit. What county are you in? Some do get over 400.
If you're in Escondido or Miramar county it will work, all the others seem too warm.

This post was edited by Drew51 on Fri, Jan 24, 14 at 11:51

5 years in a pot is too long. The roots will be quite root bound. You could leave it 4 years if you change the ingredients a little. Chipped coconut husk at 6MM size lasts longer than pine bark. About 5 years versus 2-3 for pine bark. Also perlite has a life of about 5 years. It turns to pudding after that.
The 5-1-1- mix is great for indoor plants, but university studies show that pine bark dries fast, and in your environment may not be good. Although fruit trees require fast draining soil. Still a 3-1-1 or a 4-1-1 might be better.
You don't want to over do the fertilizer Osmocote is fine. Trees with too much nitrogen produce less, and smaller fruit. Also near harvest do not over water. Keep it on the dry side and your fruit will have a higher brix.
That is a awesome genetic dwarf tree btw. They like to be in pots and you can put it in the ground, but you don't have to. If you can use a light colored pot to reflect and not absorb heat.

This post was edited by Drew51 on Fri, Jan 24, 14 at 12:31