We just moved into our new home.  I brought one little black mission tree with me from a cutting off one of my old trees.

It's in a one gallon pot and looks very healthy, but it must be pretty rootbound by now.   Should I plant it outside....or keep it protected through the coming winter and wait till spring?  And if I wait...should I repot it  in a larger container?  

Thanks.......

Dave

in your zone, it's really on the fence. Personally, I'd keep it potted over the winter and wait till spring  - beyond the risk of frost, i.e. after tax day.

Thanks guys.   Our new home town had some late hard frosts last year, so    I was thinking the same thing  (wait till spring).  Our new home has zero fruit trees and it's tempting to get it into the ground now....but I'm gonna take your advice.

Do you think that one gallon pot it's in is too small?  It's 15 inches tall, all leafed out, and looks real healthy.  Would a repot now be a good thing?

Dave if its truly rootbound by tilting that gallon pot sideways holding the plant and giving a slight pulling motion it would slip right out easily in one piece.
By putting it into a bigger pot with more soil than it has now your adding insulation for dormant period.

OK Martin.  Will repot and wait till spring.

This is all I have left from my orchard, so it's kind of special.  We were in our last home slightly less than 2 years, and I had planted 25 fruit trees, most of them figs.

Not only did we take a big hit when we sold the home, but the new owner let them all die.  He wants to put in a "desert scape" and a pool.

So I'd like to save this one....

Thanks again to all of you for your advice. 

best of luck in the new home. hope it will bring you and your family great memories that will last many many years!

I want to second what Martin said because it is great advice. Slide the plant out of the pot and check the roots. This should be possible within a couple months of up-potting. I do it to my plants at least once every other month to track root progress (anything 2gals or less)