When I put things in pots they tend to die. I hate taking care of pots 
My rootings and root grafts ate it in the heat this year from lack of care.
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I’ve potted up bareroot trees I’ve obtained for 1 or 2 years before planting in the ground to give them a better start. For container trees that are adequate size when purchased, I put them in the ground right away.
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The blue bucket in my photo is to collect air conditioner condenser water. It fills up everyday in our heat and humidity. And is enough to water 1/2 of my grafts every other day. Air conditioning condenser water is free water.
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We have well water, and I have it diverted for irrigation before the acid neutralizer, softener and stuff. So for me water is just a little time and electricity mostly.
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Generally, soil is superior to light potting mixes according to the man who revolutionized nursery growing of trees, Carl Whitcomb. By volume, even lighter soils hold more available water and can carry nutrients much more efficiently to be gradually available to a trees needs.
However, potted trees are protected from competition from weeds and nearby trees and a good potting mix should drain very quickly, eliminating two difficulties for young trees not ready to compete, or to deal with poorly draining soil.
When there are established trees in the soil you plant a whip, any roots of that competition that you cut behave like a stub cut branch and rapidly send out feeder roots directly at the point of the cut, powered by a well established tree.
I could go on and on, but in order to get trees to grow fast and well in the ground there is a lot more you have to be aware of but as a nurseryman, I never start trees in pots where almost daily maintenance is required, at least if you don’t install automatic drip. However, there used to be a member of this forum who was a commercial blueberry grower that started his plants in pots their first year, using a very good slow release fertilizer and automatic drip. For this species he got a fantastic jump in the growth of his plants before putting them in the ground. Moral of that story is that species are a big part of the answer.
Peaches, for instance, grow much better their first season in the ground (in good, well drained soil without competition from weeds and established trees) than in a pot, but apples can grow faster in a pot if it is regularly watered and fertilized. However, the advantage is quickly lost by the second year if you take the potted tree and transplant it into the soil, IME. A root system established in potting mix is a bit of a liability over one already established in the soil. This means you put in that extra work for no ultimate return.
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I throw newly grafted trees into pots, which can be stored in one protected spot and are easier to care for than dispersed trees planted in the ground. However, I try not to leave the trees in pots for more than 6 months or 1 year max.
Purchased (1-2 year old) trees go immediately into the ground in the planned locations. The only exception would be a tree purchased in late summer / autumn that may not get settled in the ground before winter.
My reasons are simple: I find that potted trees grow more slowly – roots get cramped, soil gets dry, transplantation is a shock. It’s better to get the tree into the ground.
This is based on experience with apples, pears, persimmons, and mulberries.
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i love your craft, artisanal and small-batch non-ai-generated content the best 
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No, CHAT wrote that 
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