In Memoriam - Giant Sequoia

[hemmy]

Subtitle : My Rather Inauspicious First Post

I was hoping someday to post an awesome progression on this tree but it appears that it is going to end up just another victim. However, I'm posting pics anyway to honor this nice trunk and in the hopes that it will provide someone at least a guide on what-not-to-do.

I picked up this Sequoiadendron giganteum at a local nursery in the bonsai 'off-season' of 2013-2014 (if there is such a thing in Southern California). It was ridiculously cheap for a 4" caliper and this is the only one I've ever seen there. I was very cautious with the root and branch pruning, following the advice on Craig Coussins' online article and the articles from the main seller of Sequoia bonsai stock online.

It had white fleshy roots circling the outside of the rootball, but with 2 sections brown and dead down the length of the container (and no not caused by the choice beverage at the base, hopefully I have some future pics showing that I do have taste buds). I reduced the height of the rootball by half and removed the wedges of brown root in the Spring of '14. I removed some lower branches and trimmed back the branches slightly. I then left it alone for 2015. To be continued . . .

 

[hemmy]

Part II:

I checked the root growth in the Spring of '15 and was surprised to see how fast the roots reached the side of the box. Although they look browner in the photo, the actual color was white and healthy looking. The top was healthy and green, so I reduced the branches back very slightly to the point of last years back budding whorl. But I was too scared to touch the roots (foreshadowing). It didn't fair so well in 2015 and by the end of summer some of the foliage was browning. I thought that this was just dieback of the older foliage, maybe mistakenly applying the growth patterns of other conifers to this tree. In the Fall of '15, I removed a couple large roots that were girdling the trunk. But then in early 2016, I realized that it had become rootbound and wasn't getting the moisture it needed. I had put peat into my mix to keep it wetter, which worked well when it got wet, but once it was rootbound the peat dried and became hydrophobic. I tried to open up the rootball with my custom bonsai chopstick (a 9" gutter nail) and I added some substrate hoping to provide some more space for the roots. . .

 

[hemmy]

The Final Act (?)

Most of the foliage on several branches turned completely brown, but there was a slight rebound and it actually pushed new growth this spring, including the apex branch. However, within the last month the new growth has been browning and appears to be wilting from dehydration caused by root loss. I removed the side of the box and the larger lower roots appear to be brown and dead. I've covered the tree with plastic to help it retain moisture and I'm hoping for a minor miracle. I've killed many trees with too much attention, but this is the first one that I've killed by being too cautious! Maybe this post will reverse jinx the tree and it will pull through, but if not maybe this post will provide some therapy.

 

[markyscott]

Sorry to hear about the loss of the tree - it always hurts to lose a good one, but we've all done it. Important thing is to take the lesson and move on. So. What's the lesson from this tree? What would you do different next time?

 

[Handsome John]

i find that if a tree comes back from the brink of death, it comes back with a more jaded look to it, if this tree comes back make sure to look for some carving opportunities haha! but as Marky said there is something to take away from this thing if its toast

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

It is SO just getting started!

Sorce

 

[hemmy]

Let the healing begin! I picked up my first actual Sequoia this weekend at the Santa Barbara Club Show. The Coast Redwood, the slutty cousin to the Giant Sequoia!

 

[justBonsai]

Let the healing begin! I picked up my first actual Sequoia this weekend at the Santa Barbara Club Show. The Coast Redwood, the slutty cousin to the Giant Sequoia!

Nice! Looks like good material. I've been wanting to find some coast redwood material to work on myself. If you don't mind me asking or I can send you a PM how much money did you have to pay for a tree of that size?

 

[hemmy]

Some larger, some smaller, the price range was $125 to ~$225. Mine was in the middle at $175 (now the most I've ever spent on a tree, funny how that number keeps increasing). I either got a deal because it was at the show or I overspent if it was marked up to cover the consignment %. Either way I'm happy. (Of course there was also the hidden cost of baby sitter for the kid, but we'll just deduct that from his college fund rather than the bonsai fund!)

 

[justBonsai]

Some larger, some smaller, the price range was $125 to ~$225. Mine was in the middle at $175 (now the most I've ever spent on a tree, funny how that number keeps increasing). I either got a deal because it was at the show or I overspent if it was marked up to cover the consignment %. Either way I'm happy. (Of course there was also the hidden cost of baby sitter for the kid, but we'll just deduct that from his college fund rather than the bonsai fund!)

Seems about right. Looks like great material for a formal upright. I'm trying to avoid collection going out of hand so I plan to only get 2-3 more trees at most for the next few years. Saving up my money for a nice pine and redwood.

 

[herzausstahl]

Any update on the tree? It's winter here (very mild) so I'm going through old threads looking for spring ideas.

 

[hemmy]

Any update on the tree? It's winter here (very mild) so I'm going through old threads looking for spring ideas.

Sorry, no new pics. I haven't touched it yet. I've been just trying to keep it happy. It has grown great, other than a little sunburnt/wind burnt during one of the Santa Anna wind events.

I'll slip it out to check roots and decide on repot next month when I prune and wire. The real question is when am I going to get brave enough to carve the top? I still have the giant sequoia's carcass, so maybe I will practice carving on it.

 

[herzausstahl]

Sorry, no new pics. I haven't touched it yet. I've been just trying to keep it happy. It has grown great, other than a little sunburnt/wind burnt during one of the Santa Anna wind events.

I'll slip it out to check roots and decide on repot next month when I prune and wire. The real question is when am I going to get brave enough to carve the top? I still have the giant sequoia's carcass, so maybe I will practice carving on it.

I like the idea of carving the carcass for practice. I've got a few dawn redwoods that I'm letting grow out that I planted as footlong seedlings. I also planted sequoia seedlings in a grow bed but my winter was too harsh. Been thinking lately of a way to protect a coast redwood, but not there skill wise yet to attempt it.

 

[Guy Vitale]

Very nice, I just picked up my second collected Coast Redwood, I just need the winter to break so they can ship it out. I'm looking to do a formal upright as well. They are fun as hell to work on. Good luck and keep posting.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@hemmy - nice progression, we all kill trees. I know only one person doing bonsai over 5 years that hasn't killed a good tree, yet. I've killed many over the decades, still mourn the loss of one I killed two decades ago.

@herzausstahl - I'd stick with dawn redwood, your growing season is too short for coast redwood, unless you had a greenhouse to extend the summer long enough to mature growth. It isn't just winter cold that limits what we can grow.

 

[Guy Vitale]

@herzausstahl - I'd stick with dawn redwood, your growing season is too short for coast redwood, unless you had a greenhouse to extend the summer long enough to mature growth. It isn't just winter cold that limits what we can grow.[/QUOTE]

Agreed, Coast Redwood need a mild winter dormancy, l've been keeping them for years in the Detroit area, but I winter them at n a 3 seasons room with a winter temp 50-55 degrees. I've brought a couple inside before, within 2 years they died out. Keep them cool, but well above freezing, I've heard people keeping small ones in a refrigerator over the winter, the wife would strongly disapprove, so I've never tried it.

 

[herzausstahl]

@herzausstahl - I'd stick with dawn redwood, your growing season is too short for coast redwood, unless you had a greenhouse to extend the summer long enough to mature growth. It isn't just winter cold that limits what we can grow.

Agreed, Coast Redwood need a mild winter dormancy, l've been keeping them for years in the Detroit area, but I winter them at n a 3 seasons room with a winter temp 50-55 degrees. I've brought a couple inside before, within 2 years they died out. Keep them cool, but well above freezing, I've heard people keeping small ones in a refrigerator over the winter, the wife would strongly disapprove, so I've never tried it.[/QUOTE]

Actually I figured I'd have to green house it & other winter protection if I ever tried. They are deciduous & drop their leaves like Dawn Redwoods right? If they can get dormancy at 50-55 degrees & obviously don't need light after defoliating I'd have a heated storage garage from work I'd be able to use. But I agree with you guys, for now I'll stick to the Dawn Redwoods. They are similarly cool looking & much more cold hardy. Now I just need to buy more seedlings & figure out how to grow them quickly.

 

[Guy Vitale]

No, Coast Redwoods are evergreen, they don't drop thier foliage every year. I believe you don't want them to get below 45 degrees for too long, the foliage on mine starts to brown out and shrivel when too cold. Like I said, I've had great success keeping mine in a sunny 3 season room in the low 50's, I'm sure others have had good success using other methods. Dawn Redwoods are much tougher in cold climates and you can field grow them for a few years to fatten them up, I love working with them as well.

 

[clive bennett]

I had one of these for about 8 years, every winter it lost a lot of foliage and obviously didnt like wet windy cold weather. I guess naturally they are under snow all winter and so the roots are kept dry. Then we had a -16C spell about 2 weeks long that killed it of alond side several other trees including Yew and Trident maples. Just wiring branches down never worked they just sprung up again given a season with the wire removed I cured that by wounding under the branch as it left the trunk 6 to 9 months and they were fixed for good.
Never leave them groi8und growing mine grew to 30 feet in no time at all, a 18 inch trunk isnt much good for Bonsai

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@clive bennett - Coast redwoods are in a coastal temperate rain forest climate, rarely do they ever drop below freezing. They are evergreen. On the coast snow is ephemeral, nothing gets buried in snow for more than a day or two, before the snow melts. These are evergreen, and really don't like freezing temperatures for any length of time.

The Sequoia gigantea is a mountain tree - young ones do get buried in snow. foliage is more like a juniper than a dawn or coast redwood. They can handle a moderate amount of cold, possibly the -16 C, ( 0F) that you experienced, though this is stretching the limits for the elevations the Sequoia is found at.

Dawn redwood is the only redwood that is deciduous, and is the most cold tolerant of the redwoods. In habitat (at least from what I have read, rather than actually have seen), I believe it occupies a niche more similar to the niche a bald cypress occupies, than a coast redwood. It tolerates cold well. Mine have done well outdoors simply pot on the ground, in the shade for winter, we got to -17 F (-27 C) and they came through fine. Shade helps prevent freeze-thaw cycling. and they were protected from wind.