I would say you will find out in the spring when new growth should resume. it really is too soon. though by winter if it is dead you will see the leaves turning brown.

oh...so it could take that long to die?
I read on one of the forums that if it survives 4 weeks after transplant then chances are it will be fine.

I was hoping to put it back in the ground at my new house by spring.

Surely when you buy them this big in a pot, the garden centres must have removed them from the ground?

Not necessarily - growers might just keep potting up as they get taller. Just give it some time - you'll certainly know if it's dead or not by next spring when you want to plant it; all the growth will go brown and there won't be any new growth coming from the centre at the top. It's looking quite reasonable at the moment, so no need to light the funeral pyre just yet...it'll either make it or it won't.

haha. thanks.
I was told to cut the top off if it looses all the leaves or if they all go brown and die then just leave it in the pot and hope it shoots more leaves. Once all the rain stops, I think Ill start the liquid seaweed

I wouldn't add fertilizers now as the roots will not be fully functioning yet. it is also getting late in the year and there wouldn't be much growth now so the fertilizer is going to be wasted..

Agree, don't fertilize at this time of year, just leave it alone other than making sure its watered as necessary.

New growth from the root stock is also a possibility in spring. our neighbour lost the top of his plants in the severe winters of 2010/11 and 2011/12. one never came back but the other re-grew from below the soil and is now about 5ft multi stemmed specimen.