Fall Transplanting

[DrTolhur]

I've got a (grafted) Shin Deshojo planted in my yard that's got maybe a 1" trunk at the base and is about 5' tall. It's been planted for 1.5-2 years. Everything I see online says that the proper way to transplant a tree is to cut the roots around where you'll dig in either spring or autumn, then do the actual transplant the following autumn or spring. I'm wondering, though, if this tree may be small enough and not-established enough that I could do it all in one go this season. I feel like I should be able to get pretty much all of the roots without even cutting them, but I'm not entirely sure how quickly Japanese maples grow roots unbounded in the ground.

For context, the easy answer is obviously to play it safe and do the cut now / transplant later method, but it's in a location that hinders my spring set-up for potted trees. So it'd be better if I could get it moved before the spring awakening.

 

[Shibui]

The root cut method is used for trees with thick roots and where feeder roots may be a long way from the trunk. It was really developed for transplant very large trees but has been used on smaller trees where people worry about transplant. many people make the mistake of cutting roots too far away from the trunk then when digging those roots have to be chopped again closer to the trunk thereby making the root chop redundant.
Japanese maples transplant really well so root cut is really an optional extra. I don't bother when transplanting maples and often chop roots back real hard when transplanting.
A smaller tree like this should transplant in spring with very little setback.

 

[DrTolhur]

A smaller tree like this should transplant in spring with very little setback.

What do you think of transplanting in the fall? I'd like to have it moved before spring to make room for my other set-up. And if good, when would you recommend doing so?

 

[Dav4]

What do you think of transplanting in the fall? I'd like to have it moved before spring to make room for my other set-up. And if good, when would you recommend doing so?

The best time, in my opinion, to transplant landscape trees is fall. Warm soil and less heat means good growing conditions to get roots established. Fwiw, I've been transplanting young palmatums down here all summer long... get a decent root ball, mulch well and water through the fall and they do fine even in the heat of the summer.

 

[Shibui]

I have yet to try Fall transplant even though I hear good reports from many experienced growers so I think you should be OK. I am still having trouble overcoming deeply ingrained early bonsai training which said we MUST do spring transplant so very hard to change habits of a lifetime.
I must force myself to move outside that established comfort zone soon.