Transplanting root bound Christmas tree palm

[Ricanstructed]

Over a year ago I purchased two pots (one pictured) for the single trunk adonidias I finally found yesterday.  As a native Puerto Rican, then Florida transplant, these trees are a much much needed taste of home here in my new location in mid Missouri.  The home we purchased won me over with the 2 story large "great room" that offers sky lights with plenty of filtered sun for all of my tropicals over winter. These pots flank the fireplace so perfectly and they've just been sitting there empty waiting on these Adonidias to arrive. I am heartbroken to realize they are about an inch or so too wide for the top of the pots. As you can see, they do widen out significantly past the 4 inch lip area, and also offer much more length for growth, so I am attempting to soften the media a bit with a soak to get them in. Have I just made an awful decision? They are so root bound I thought a good soak to loosen them up might be a good idea anyway. Stressing super hard over this.

[JohnAndSancho]

I don't see how those trees are gonna go into those pots without breaking a lot of roots. 

[PalmatierMeg]

These palms will have enough trouble surviving winter indoors in Missouri without the root torture you plan to inflict on them. Palms hate having their roots hacked up. Even if you manage to stuff them into those pots you will eventually have to smash the pots if you want to up pot your palms in the future. Next time you buy pots make sure the top opening is as wide or wider than the bottom so you won't face having to smash your pots to extract plants. I suggest you measure the palms carefully then look for bigger and better shaped pots. Having palms that size shipped to MO can't be cheap and the poor things deserve to be treated accordingly.

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