Cut all dead and damaged branches flush with the tree trunk as each tree grows. Nice and informative layout you got there! 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? Place them in a warm, sunny location that receives at least six hours of sunlight exposure per day. A fluorescent light is cooler than other artificial light options, allowing the soil and air to maintain an even temperature around the plants. 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. Place the Petri dish in a location away from direct sunlight. I just brought home my 1-2 year old seedling sequoia. Any advice based on your experience would be appreciated! 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a year – read this article for more info: http://www.bonsaiboy.com/catalog/redwoodcare.html, Your email address will not be published. While I love the bonsai look, my end goal is to have a 2-4 foot potted tree. growing box. Hi Chris, A coast redwood tree has flat, feathery needlelike foliage that is rich blue; it begins to bear seeds about its fifth year of life. I learned this technique from browsing the http://www.weetree.com website. I’m currently having my sequoia seedling grown from seed too Air-layering is also possible. Coast redwood trees are among the easiest coniferous sequoia trees to cultivate indoors and quickly can be trained into bonsai trees. 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. any new development on that sequoia? Your email address will not be published. Lightly sprinkle a layer of potting mix over each seed, covering only one-third of each seed's width. steve. Hi Steve- great informative pictures! Did you do the pruning of roots and foliage when it was dormant( say mid winter)? Maybe it didn’t know which direction to grow toward the sun..? Hi Josh, They grow to an average height of 165-280 ft and 18-24 ft in diameter. Place the fast draining, proper soil mixture in the flat… Cheers! Everything on here is from 2 years ago. 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. They sell bare root trees and use this technique. Tips and how-to needed! Giant Sequoias are the world’s largest trees in terms of total volume. 6/24/11 - lots of new growth now that it's established in the ground. Seal the bag, and set it in a refrigerator for about three weeks or until you see roots emerge from the seeds. Redwoods don’t like to dry out and I recently added another dripper to it since it struggled with the heat this summer. Considering putting it in the ground for more rapid growth. The daytime air temperature should be at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit. wow the young sequoia is very unique in appearance-nice job-hows it doin now-any pics-totally curious. Homesteading in Marin County, CA (sorta). Hi! 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. Air-layering is also possible. Shake the cones to release the seeds. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Soil-less potting mixes are less susceptible than soil-based mixes to soil-borne diseases and other contaminates. 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. Hey Steve, Coast redwood seeds can be collected and stored up to five years before used to grow more bonsai trees. Fluorescent light also has better color-rendering properties, resulting in the plants using more of the light than is emitted. I need to post a recent picture soon – it has grown a quite a bit since June. Hi Mike – the sequoia is doing great now. Fill starter-cell packs to the brim with a sterile soil-less potting mix. Hi Henry, 1; U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Would really love to see how you’ve built up on that pre bonsai and what it looks like today. 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. How did you get it to grow outwards instead of upwards? Gently remove the seedling from its cell, and separate its roots before setting the root ball in the hole you created. http://www.bonsaiboy.com/catalog/redwoodcare.html. I added some mulch to help keep the soil moist, along with drip irrigation. It wasn’t getting enough water to flourish so I adjusted that recently and I’m hoping it will improve. Sequoia, they are not as easy to make into bonsai as coast redwood. The soil temperature needs to be at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit for coast redwood seedlings to grow. I have not pruned the foliage yet at all on this tree. hey thanks steve-really enjoy your site- i think anyone interested in the subject would feel the same-nice work. They are very upright growing, so much so that they are really only good for formal uprights and informal upright styles. Place the seeds inside a 1-quart plastic bag filled with lightly … Avoid fungal attacks on the plants by letting the soil surface dry out between watering sessions. It was completely rootbound. Do you think this is possible? As my wife doesn’t want a big tree in the garden, I need to shape it as bonsai too. Place the tree under the fluorescent light, and water it thoroughly. It looked like it was struggling before you put it in the ground. 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. 2/8/10 - Trunk is about 1/2″ thick now. Doyle is a certified Ohio State University master gardener and holds a degree in landscape technologies. The oldest known Giant Sequoia based on ring count is 3,500 years old. But it recovered pretty good after 6 months. Soak the desired amount of coast redwood seeds in filtered water in a small Petri dish for 24 hours. They have an extremely fast growth rate and tolerate inadequate growing conditions for extended periods of time. I started this tree from seed in May of 2007. Giant Sequoias are the world’s largest trees in terms of total volume. I did the root pruning at the end of January. Cut back vigorously growing branches to develop the bonsai shape or shapes of your liking. A heat mat can be set directly under the starter-cell packs to raise the soil temperature if necessary. 7/5/07 - Transplanted from germination container. I would like to have a 1-1.5″ thick trunk (diameter) before I transfer it to a bonsai pot, which means I have a couple of years (I think) before I’m to that point. Set a light timer so the light remains on 12 hours per day for about the first six months after the seeds were planted. 2. It hasn’t changed a whole lot since the last picture update, but I’ll post new pics when I have a chance. Pests and diseases : Redwood bonsai are hardly ever attacked by pests and diseases Hi Kati, I don’t expect this guy to grow over 3 feet though. Required fields are marked *. Fill enough 1-by-4-inch, well-draining containers with soil-less potting mix so that each coast redwood will have its own container. Soak the desired amount of seeds you wish to start in cool tap water for a period of between 3 and 5 days. What soil mix did you use when it was shallow potted, and what climate are you in? Remove the seeds from the filtered water, and place them in a plastic, self-sealing bag. The oldest known Giant … Soak the desired amount of coast redwood seeds in filtered water in a small Petri dish for 24 hours. I have a giant sequoia seedling that I want to eventually turn into a bonsai. Seal the bag, and set it in... 3. 10/25/09 - Repotted into a redwood (ironic?) I’ll add a new picture when I have a chance. Planted her on top of a tile in the ground to induce rapid trunk development and surface roots. I started this tree from seed in May of 2007. Supplement sunlight with a fluorescent light source 2 or more feet above the starter-cell packs. How to Grow Coast Redwood Bonsai from Seeds 1. Fill soil-less potting mix around the root ball.