WHEN TO LIFT MOUNTAIN MAPLE FROM GROUND

I want to lift my maple,which was in a pot but planted ,on a slate, to grow on 4 years ago.There are some large roots and lots of fine ones.Would I be able to cut the large roots now and then cut the rest next spring and lift it and pot up.

i would wait till next spring and do the whole lot in one go.

Thanks for the post.Not sure if the climate here in wales is like yours.You don't think it would be to much of a shock to do it in one go?

Both would work. I prefer to cut the main roots before I go to transplant, allowing the plant to create some new roots nearer to the trunk.

My main concern would be that your tree probably has very few vertical roots below the trunk: Cutting the main horizontal roots may lead to a situation where the tree looses water roots.

wales is nothing like my climate. Leatherback has it right. im on a mobile so typing sucks.

im geussing there japanese maple? i hate messing with j maple roots at any time the plant is not dormant. with plenty of fine roots you should be ok to go in spring. ive had escaped plants were ive just pulled the pot and roots out of the ground and not cut anything, just it aif pruned and the plant survived. was an apricot though. dunno about maples and that technique.