When to repot Hinoki Cypress (spirited)

Horticulture
1

Hey all, I’m sure we’re all a little bored of repotting questions, so I’ll be quick about it.

I purchased a chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Spirited’ in as nursery stock in August. It came in a wrapped clay ball. At the time I removed as much clay as I could without removing roots and slip potted it in pumice. I’m wondering if it would be best to repot it right now in the early fall. I do have a 3 season porch which doesn’t get too cold in the Boston winters.

The reason I want to repot is because I’m worried water will just fall around the clay through the pumice and some roots with dry out and potentially die. Obviously, it would probably be a good idea to remove the clay regardless of the slip potting. Another concern is that there is a fair amount of internal foliage, so I’d like to do the initial structural styling sooner rather than later to let light in. What do you guys recommend as the schedule for this trees repot and styling (assuming it’s healthy)? Repot now, style next fall? Repot in spring, style next fall? How much concern should I have over the clay root ball in pumice

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Bonus question: Has anybody worked with the ‘Spirited’ variety of hinoki before? The foliage is still pretty fine, but more mature foliage seems to go a bit yellow. It’s apparently good in the sun.

Thanks,
Mike

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Hi @MedfordMike,
Personally, I would heal it into the ground until spring, but I don’t know if you have space or what your winters are like. All repots are a roll of the dice so you want the odds in your favour. For this reason, its best to repot just before active growth, but that doesn’t mean you can’t repot at other times. If you are worried about inner growth, you could do a clean up prune?

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