Looking good. Although I think I would have let it run for the full season to gather strength due to the root work, I'm sure it will do fine and you probably will get a jump on development.
I know you had some issues with the two step and winterizing last year, but how do you plan to winterize this one. I know different subspecies are less cold-tolerant and most of the varieties we get are likely hybrids, so it can be tricky to figure out what they can take.
And as to the first part of your comment, I agree that this amount of work is aggressive.
But I was blown away by how many roots it grew after the first repotting, and its been healthy this year.
I decided a while back to go a little harder on some of my stuff, I tend to play it safe usually, but I did take a few risks this year...including my big elm air layer after major root work....killing off half of one of my yews for future deadwood along with wiring and cutback....bare rooting another bigger yew for the first time since previous owner collected it 3 years ago along with killing off part for future dead wood...
Also, I did a major repotting to my J Hornbeam along with a big cut back...
Heavy root work on my K Hormbeam as well, first time for it...
Heavy cut back and major root reduction on my Ilex Red Beauty....
Heavy root reduction and trunk chop on a trident....
Barerooted my large nursery juniper to the shock and horror of HBR'ers across the fruited plains...
This list goes on...
Basically I told myself that I'm either gonna start building good nebari and root systems on my trees, in a good substrate...or they will die. So far everything mentioned is doing well!
(I did lose my little KH, which maybe was my ugliest tree...but that's the only one that died from over working this year.)
