Temporary Trees ?

[snohare]

I have about a half dozen assorted apple trees, a couple of pears, and a peach tree, all bought this year or last from supermarkets and discount stores, height about 4 to 5 feet tall. My problem is that I need to shift them later in the year - I am moving house in August, but would prefer to shift them earlier than that.
Now, having been a tree nurseryman, I know about the dormancy thing, so what I was hoping I could do is to stick them all one each in a bucket, and sink it into the soil, digging it up when necessary. Or perhaps, stick them en masse with some soil in a one tonne builder's bag, and just remove them one at a time with the root balls suitably wrapped.
But...I haven't a clue how big the root balls are going to want to grow (I only have florist's buckets at the moment), or whether I can crowd them together in a bag like that without problems. I know apple trees give off chemicals in the soil - would that affect other apple trees, or pear or peach trees ?
Eventually, I am hoping to put them in Versailles planters - is that feasible ? They are all supposed to grow to only about 10 or 12 feet high - but I know what the phrase "supposed to" means in horticulture...!

[FB.]

I would pot them individually in 50/50 soil and compost and in early September, turn them into "semi-bare-root" trees by breaking up the outermost half of the rootball and spreading the outer roots into a large planting hole and filling the planting hole with 50/50 soild and compost.
Such treatment allows very good establishment as you head into prime rooting season.

I've fiddled, meddled and experimented with fruit trees - including their roots - and I reckon that the greatest part of their root growth occurs in autumn.

As a guess, I'd say that, over the course of a year, the amount of root growth attributable to each season would be:

Autumn: 40% of the year's total.
Spring: 30% of the year's total.
Summer: 20% of the year's total.
Winter: 10% of the year's total.

Therefore, by planting trees in autumn, you'll get more root growth (80% of the potential) before the next growing season. By planting in spring, you only get about 30% of a season's root growth, before they leaf-out.

I think that putting them all into the one container risks unnecessary damage during transportation to their new home.

Regarding final size, most fruit trees can be calmed down by hard summer pruning.

[snohare]

So meantime, just pot them as normal in the 50/50 mix, and they will come to no harm when I shift them ? It all sounds too easy Mark you, I haven't got transport yet ! For this summer, how big do the pots need to be ? At present the rootballs are only inches across - they seem very small indeed.

[FB.]

12" pots should be plenty for their first year. If the "tap root" is too long, just coil it round in the pot and uncoil it in the autumn.
Any issues with cramped roots (due to the pots being too small) will be resolved when you remove the soil from the outer parts of the rootballs in early autumn as it'll free up the outermost roots and you can spread them across the planting hole - saving the plant a lot of time to grow roots out such a long way.

[snohare]

Many many thanks FB, you have set my fevered mind at rest !