Dawn Redwood questions..

[benw3790]

I cant seem to find much information on redwoods with bonsai nut or on the internet in general.. I absolutely love these trees and think that they make good bonsai. I have two dawn redwoods that i purchased this summer from a local nursery.. they were both about 8 or 9 feet tall when i got them so the trunks are already at a considerable thickness. I probably should have air layered them so that i could make 2 trees into 4 but i am just too inpatient and besides, for the size of them, 15 dollars a piece was a steal!! They have both back budded profusely and have thrown new shoots out everywhere!!! these things grow sooo rapidly, its almost hard to train. Anyways.. i know that they are actually deciduous conifers.. so i know they will lost their leaves this fall/winter. obviously, that will probably be the best time to wire them and get a good look at what i have going on. One of my questions is can you just cut a branch back to nothing since it is deciduous? leaving buds along the branch? alot of the branches are way too long.. also, i feel like i will probably have to be constantly replacing branches as they grow so fast. Is this common practice with redwoods as bonsai? How do you guys feel about bar branches or more than one branch emerging from the same spot on redwoods? Ive seen some pretty nice ones with more than one branch emerging from the same spot and plenty of bar branches.. i think they only really look nice for bonsai when they look as natural as possible and the ones i am referring to are just that. What do you guys think? Is there anyone on here who trains redwoods for bonsai or has any sustainable amount of knowledge with them that could give me some tips and or suggestions? or maybe we can just talk about them!! thanks

 

[Paradox]

There is info out there, but it isnt always easy to find.

I have a small one I got this summer, but I havent worked with it much yet.

http://www.bonsaitoolchest.com/download/dawn_redwood.pdf

 

[october]

You will need to start creating tapered branches. Meaning you cut back the branches somewhat short, cutting them back to a bud or young branch. In time, the bud continues to grow, but will be thinner than the starting of the branch. That's how taper is created. This is important to create a nice image. If this is not down. You will have long branches with no taper that look like pipes. Also, try not to have too many buds coming from any one area. The area will swell and become out of scale. After a nice image is achieved, then you can pinch to maintain.

Also, repot before the buds open. Right before they start to swell in early Spring is a good time to repot. Once they open and start growing, it is too late to repot.

Rob

 

[october]

p.s. You should let the branches grow long and thicken a bit before you start the cut back process.

Rob

 

[Cadillactaste]

p.s. You should let the branches grow long and thicken a bit before you start the cut back process.

Rob

Sounds much like the grow and trim method in Koreshoff's book.

 

[garywood]

Ben?, it sounds as if you have done your research. DR are very strongly opposed in budding. By that I mean they tend to grow buds at almost 90 degrees to the branch and two of them to boot! Controlling the angles is probably the most difficult task with DR. They are strong growers with few pest so, good growing

 

[jk_lewis]

I cant seem to find much information on redwoods with bonsai nut or on the internet in general.

You must not have looked very hard. These were the second and third references that popped up on a simple Google search:

http://www.bonsaitoolchest.com/download/dawn_redwood.pdf

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/care-maintenance-dawn-redwood-bonsai-tree-43251.html

I assume you know these are not THE redwoods that grow on the west coast.

 

[Mash]

Here is some more info some of it the same. I have found they propagate really easy. They grow super fast several feet in a year when fertilized. If you wire branches you can't leave the wire on long or the wire cuts in deep. I keep the 3 I have in a spot that gets shade during the heat of the day. Root trimming once a year. Right or wrong I prune mine in the spring before the start growing leaves and I cut back hard once during the year. They will fill in totally where you just have a giant green blob and I like to see the tree underneath. I also periodically pick at them removing growth I don't want when I walk by them.

http://fusionbonsai.com/tag/dawn-redwood-bonsai/
http://littlebigtrees.blogspot.com/2009/03/notes-and-thoughts-on-raising-dawn.html

 

[benw3790]

p.s. You should let the branches grow long and thicken a bit before you start the cut back process.

Rob

Thanks Rob! thats what ive been doing.. just letting the ones grow out, harden off, and then cut back.. Ive also been cutting them back to just one new shoot to create taper.. a lot of the branches actually taper pretty naturally from what ive seen but some of them, not so much.. precaite the info on repotting.. just like a normal deciduous tree i see.

 

[benw3790]

You must not have looked very hard. These were the second and third references that popped up on a simple Google search:

http://www.bonsaitoolchest.com/download/dawn_redwood.pdf

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/care-maintenance-dawn-redwood-bonsai-tree-43251.html

I assume you know these are not THE redwoods that grow on the west coast.

Id rather talk to people on here who train them and grow them for bonsai and to have a discussion about them rather then read the same basic info, over and over again.. but thanks for the links!

 

[benw3790]

ive just been letting them grow for the most part and then periodically going back and removing shoots that i know i will not be able to use at all and wiring ones down that have hardened off.. i just didnt know if you could cut a branch back to absolutely no green what so ever.. and it still bud out for you, later on. they do grow really fast you dont have to leave the wire on long. i actually killed a branch when i bought the first one by leaving the wire on too long and it was only on there for about 4 weeks. they just grow so fast, i know that when it comes time to refine them it will be hard keeping them in a shape and a refined stage that you want them to be. theyre beautiful tho and are always going to give you plenty of branches, shoots and possibilities to work from!

 

[jk_lewis]

Id rather talk to people on here who train them and grow them for bonsai and to have a discussion about them rather then read the same basic info, over and over again.. but thanks for the links!

Hmmm. That's odd. You have NO idea how qualified anyone you talk to here is on your species. When guides are published, and when they all say about the same thing, you can be confident the info is valid.

However, you did say, I recall, that you had looked for info and not found anything. I was merely pointing out that you don't seem to have looked very hard.

What you do with these sites is entirely up to you, and what I do now, is ignore your future requests for help.

Ta.

 

[benw3790]

Hmmm. That's odd. You have NO idea how qualified anyone you talk to here is on your species. When guides are published, and when they all say about the same thing, you can be confident the info is valid.

However, you did say, I recall, that you had looked for info and not found anything. I was merely pointing out that you don't seem to have looked very hard.

What you do with these sites is entirely up to you, and what I do now, is ignore your future requests for help.

Ta.

how did i offend you in anyway to get a response like that? I thanked you for the links.. i wasnt being negative and i wasnt rude at all.. what are you talking about? you just made a fool of yourself.. And ppl like you are the ones who ruin these forums and give bonsai a bad name by being a stuck up prick who takes everything the wrong way.. and im not the type to sit here and go back and forth with you in an intellectual and not so aggresive way. you are a fucking asshole. lol chill out dude.

 

[Jason]

Branching angle

I've always wondered about the correct branching angle on these guys. It seems like the older ones branch upwards almost flame-like instead of angling down then sweeping up like some species. I've seen them convincingly styled both ways, though. Thoughts?