That would make it an $11 tree right? Pull it out of the pot, if it doesn't look root bound and you can easily identify the root flare put it in the ground.

If you have to tool around with the roots, wait until fall. Put the tree in shade and water it daily.

Waits its an $11 tree, put it in the ground. Sure you have other things to attend to then to worry about a tree in a pot.

Just my 2 cents.

Does a cheap price make a bad deal something you shouldn't pass up? What are the chances of the root system of a redbud, sold at Home Depot for 50% off after sitting around being tortured for months, being good?

Anyway, if you do get it, keep your receipt!!!!!!! and be sure to check for/address root system problems.

Here is a link that might be useful: Planting a Tree or Shrub

two options.. neither of which involve planting in july/aug

one.. place pot in full shade.. and keep properly watered until PROPER PLANTING TIME ...

or ... sink pot and all in ground.. so its shade in the ground.. and water properly until PROPER PLANTING TIME ... you probably should not do this unless your soil has full drainage.. no clay ...

key words: PROPER PLANTING TIME ... which is right after all its leaves fall off ...

there is no way.. in this heat.. that it will be able to maintain those leaves.. while disturbing all its roots ...

ken

key words, while disturbing roots. The stock I got from Home Depot was surprisingly not pot bound by any means (although that was back in May). Just pull the dang thing out of the pot...take a pic and show us. Oh, and I'm assuming these are #3 or #5 pots. If its a #10 or bigger pot ignore everything I just said.

Ken's suggestion is the right way to go but not everyone has the time to water trees in pots everyday with sandy soil. Of course we don't know your social and work life.

Put it this way: the chances are at least even it will croak. Maybe not this year.

Dan

it not being a foo foo RBud ... i would put the odds at 75% .... green trees are more resilient than ones with colored leaves ...

and redbuds are pretty bulletproof.. if you dont fry the roots between now and fall planting/root surgery ...

if it had been grown for 5 years.. in a one gallon pot.. and then stuck in a huge pot.. you can not see the problems deep inside.. and that is what we want to find out about.. and do root surgery for.. in fall ... if necessary ...

you can see .. from the pic below.. that bare root trees easily survive.. major surgery.. if done at the proper time.. which in my z5 is late fall or ground thaw in spring ... the dates on the pic

ken

{{gwi:325678}}

Thanks for the replies, everyone. The tree is in a container that is roughly half the size of a five gallon bucket. I pulled the tree out and could not see any roots on the sides of the soil and very few at the bottom. I don't see any signs that the roots are getting crowded and starting to bunch up anywhere.

I sat it beside my building where the tree will be shaded for part of the day and the container itself should be in the shade for most of the day. I will also make sure and water it daily.

I dont know anything about Redbud trees but the leaves dont look the best right now. They are green and firm but they do look like they have taken some damage from bugs.

In any case, it was half off and I will definitely file away the receipt just in case.