there are a couple types of rebud ... and w/o a proper ID ... it is hard to give any specific info on its future performance ... second.. trees.. in general .. like a very high draining media in the pot ... and almost any bagged media is going to be too high in peat to favor the tree ... if you are limited to buying media... you should look into a cactus mix ... otherwise .. many peeps here like al's mix.. which is homemade.. perhaps someone has a link to that ... up here in MI ... Cercis canadensis .. the eastern redbud.. seeds wildly .. onto my wood mulch.. which is on top of mineral sand ... and which is usually about as dry as dry can get ... and i get hundreds of seedlings per year ... with no watering beyond what nature supplies... which leads me to the conclusion that ERedbud.. does not mind being dry ... which i tell you.. so you dont drown them in your pots ... and if you stop drowning them [not that you are, just meaning excessive watering] .. then you might not need much fertilizer ... but if they are off color.. so be it ... isnt redbud near native in NY .. the thought that you need to carry it from FL to NY.. cracks me up .. regardless.. live your dream ... good luck ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

So far as I know, this seems to be the norm. A photo won't hurt, but it sounds to me that your is typical.

I would avoid trying to dig the bigger ones, unless you can get a large root mass, and move them at once to an already dug hole. I would water them well the day before, and observe all the recommended transplanting practices... To go in pots, I would try for the smaller ones. The man I bought my 'Forest Pansy' from last spring (which I think is a seedling, as there is no graft mark, and it's getting greener and greener as the summer goes on) said that they were tricky to move and to grow in pots. He said he had the best luck getting them to grow in pots by putting them in a largish/taller pot, and with VERY free-draining soil - almost half pure bark-fines and potting soil. Keep them in dappled shade, and don't let them dry out. Overwinter them in a sheltered spot, either burying them in the ground or surrounding the pots with leaves or straw. Water during dry spells or if it thaws. I would try both fall and spring - I know here fall would work, but am too unfamiliar with growing conditions in MI to be sure which would be best for you. If you have enough seedlings, try some this fall - if it doesn't work, then you can try again in the spring. I moved one a few years ago, from a friend's garden - it was about 6-7' tall, took 3 men to move, was moved to an already dug hole in an afternoon-shade position and was assiduously watered. It lived, and is now about 12-15' tall, and 15-20' wide. I don't recommend you move anything too big - the root ball is HEAVY!

Have redbuds, but don't need japs, do you have anything else? Mine are in 3 gallon pots, about 3-4 ft tall. I'm near Westminster, SC if you get near me and I still have them we might can come up with something.