I have not pruned the foliage yet at all on this tree. growing box. Thanks for the prompting – I have this tree still in the ground in the same place – it isn’t much bigger than it was in the latest picture above, but I’ll post a newer one regardless. I just brought home my 1-2 year old seedling sequoia. Dannielle Doyle is an award-winning horticulturalist and garden writer whose work has appeared in publications such as the "Bryan Times" newspaper, the "San Francisco Chronicle" and "Green Profits" magazine. Use pruning shears for that task. In your most recently posted sequoia pre-bonsai picture, you said you “Planted her on top of a tile in the ground to induce rapid trunk development and surface roots.” Is this a way to begin training/preparing the tree for a bonsai container? While I love the bonsai look, my end goal is to have a 2-4 foot potted tree. It wasn’t getting enough water to flourish so I adjusted that recently and I’m hoping it will improve. They require a cold period in order to go through their dormant phase for around 3 months a year – read this article for more info: http://www.bonsaiboy.com/catalog/redwoodcare.html, Your email address will not be published. 7/5/07 - Transplanted from germination container. In my experience they grow up then fill out and repeat this cycle. Pests and diseases : Redwood bonsai are hardly ever attacked by pests and diseases 6/24/11 - lots of new growth now that it's established in the ground. Hi Mike – the sequoia is doing great now. Hi Steve- great informative pictures! A heat mat can be set directly under the starter-cell packs to raise the soil temperature if necessary. Gently remove the seedling from its cell, and separate its roots before setting the root ball in the hole you created. Tips and how-to needed! I am new to bonsai care, so I’m trying to learn as much as possible until it’s time to transfer my tree. Plant one seed on top of the potting mix in the center of each cell. Did you do the pruning of roots and foliage when it was dormant( say mid winter)? Fluorescent light also has better color-rendering properties, resulting in the plants using more of the light than is emitted. Purchase a packet of Coast Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens) or Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia Glyptostroboides - much more... 2. The tree will survive for a little while indoors, but ultimately needs to be outdoors. June 24, 2011. Soak the desired amount of coast redwood seeds in filtered water in a small Petri dish for 24 hours. Maybe it didn’t know which direction to grow toward the sun..? Propagation: Redwoods (both Metasequoia bonsai and Sequoia bonsai) can be propagated from seed and cuttings. I think the outward growth of the branches is a result of the way that it was started in a small pot indoors with relatively little direct sunlight. http://www.bonsaiboy.com/catalog/redwoodcare.html. This cold process is known as naked prechilling. It was completely rootbound. Considering putting it in the ground for more rapid growth. Place the tree under the fluorescent light, and water it thoroughly. Use enough water to cover the tops of the seeds. But it recovered pretty good after 6 months. Hi! Remove the seeds from the filtered water, and place them in a plastic, self-sealing bag. Air-layering is also possible. Thanks for posting this, the best sequoia bonsai I have ever seen. Redwoods don’t like to dry out and I recently added another dripper to it since it struggled with the heat this summer. Fill starter-cell packs to the brim with a sterile soil-less potting mix. Place the seeds inside a 1-quart plastic bag filled with lightly … Seal the bag, and set it in... 3. Shake the cones to release the seeds. Hey Steve, Air-layering is also possible. They are very upright growing, so much so that they are really only good for formal uprights and informal upright styles. It has some nice new bright green growth shoots popping out now that it has acclimated to it’s new home in the growing bed. Cheers! I’d like to keep it indoors. I need to post a recent picture soon – it has grown a quite a bit since June. I have a giant sequoia seedling that I want to eventually turn into a bonsai. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Soil-less potting mixes are less susceptible than soil-based mixes to soil-borne diseases and other contaminates. I started this tree from seed in May of 2007. Giant Sequoia Redwood Pre-Bonsai. Test the soil temperature with a soil thermometer. Cut back vigorously growing branches to develop the bonsai shape or shapes of your liking. How to Grow Coast Redwood Bonsai from Seeds 1. Would really love to see how you’ve built up on that pre bonsai and what it looks like today. What soil mix did you use when it was shallow potted, and what climate are you in? Nice and informative layout you got there! Lightly sprinkle a layer of potting mix over each seed, covering only one-third of each seed's width. Seal the bag, and set it in a refrigerator for about three weeks or until you see roots emerge from the seeds. (Is it necessary?) The young plants also tend to look enough like a juniper that often people don't realize they are looking at a sequoia in a pot rather than a juniper in a pot. The oldest known Giant Sequoia based on ring count is 3,500 years old. Set a light timer so the light remains on 12 hours per day for about the first six months after the seeds were planted. Any advice based on your experience would be appreciated! Place the fast draining, proper soil mixture in the flat… Required fields are marked *. Yes, putting a tile or piece of wood under your seedling will force the roots to go sideways increasing the potential of developing nice surface roots. They grow to an average height of 165-280 ft and 18-24 ft in diameter. Fill soil-less potting mix around the root ball. Remove the seeds from the filtered water, and place them in a plastic, self-sealing bag. hey thanks steve-really enjoy your site- i think anyone interested in the subject would feel the same-nice work. 3/27/11. Everything on here is from 2 years ago. Fill enough 1-by-4-inch, well-draining containers with soil-less potting mix so that each coast redwood will have its own container. steve. The oldest known Giant … Allow the soil to drain before you water it again, keeping the soil moist at all times while the seeds germinate and the plants grow. Water the seeds lightly with a spray bottle or mister until each cell's soil is damp. Cut all dead and damaged branches flush with the tree trunk as each tree grows. Steps 1. Do you think this is possible? Coast redwood trees are among the easiest coniferous sequoia trees to cultivate indoors and quickly can be trained into bonsai trees. Avoid fungal attacks on the plants by letting the soil surface dry out between watering sessions. I added some mulch to help keep the soil moist, along with drip irrigation. 1; U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. It hasn’t changed a whole lot since the last picture update, but I’ll post new pics when I have a chance. Sequoia, they are not as easy to make into bonsai as coast redwood. Coast redwood seeds can be collected and stored up to five years before used to grow more bonsai trees. I’ll add a new picture when I have a chance. 2. As my wife doesn’t want a big tree in the garden, I need to shape it as bonsai too. A fluorescent light is cooler than other artificial light options, allowing the soil and air to maintain an even temperature around the plants. It looked like it was struggling before you put it in the ground. Supplement sunlight with a fluorescent light source 2 or more feet above the starter-cell packs. Planted her on top of a tile in the ground to induce rapid trunk development and surface roots. When each coast redwood is 6 inches tall, note the size of its root ball, and create a hole just large enough for the root ball in the potting mix of the tree's future container. Giant Sequoias are the world’s largest trees in terms of total volume. Place them in a warm, sunny location that receives at least six hours of sunlight exposure per day. My tree is currently in a regular flower pot and I was planning to keep it in flower pots until it’s time to move it over to a bonsai pot. 1/23/11 - here are some pics I took after it came out of the box I built I trimmed the roots before deciding to put it the ground. I learned this technique from browsing the http://www.weetree.com website. The daytime air temperature should be at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Hi Chris, I used a mix of turface and potting soil when it was potted. Hi Josh, Continue to water them regularly. Giant Sequoias are the world’s largest trees in terms of total volume. How did you get it to grow outwards instead of upwards? Your email address will not be published. Hi Henry, How to Start White Swan Coneflower From a Seed, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Sequoia Sempervirens, Coast Redwood, University of California Integrated Pest Management Online: Managing Pests in Gardens -- Trees and Shrubs: Redwood, Washington State University Clark County Extension: Coastal Redwood -- Sequoia Sempervirens, Silvics of North America, Vol. Hi Kati, Prune gradually, over the course of several years. The soil temperature needs to be at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit for coast redwood seedlings to grow.