Would anyone tackle this one? It’s a Dawn Redwood my husband chopped down this week. I asked him to leave a bit of growth in case it is usable.

I would keep it, but I don’t have a redwood and want one. If I had a bunch I might not spend time on it. I think redwoods can look really nice with a straight trunk and it would take a while to get that thick of a trunk.
 
This would be the biggest, but that’s the problem. I think it’s too big for me to deal with.
If you think it MAY be too big then it is DEFINITELY too big. In my experience trees seem to expand as you dig them. Always bigger than you though. Always heavier than you guessed. Always need a bigger pot than estimated.
Conversely, trees also get uglier as you dig. What appeared to have good prospects initially won't look as good when it is out of the ground. After potting up you start to wonder why you bothered. After another couple of weeks you begin to wonder what you ever saw in it. After a year you try to pass it on to someone else.
 
If you are asking me then you are asking the wrong guy. It's never too big. The only issue you have is that you cut the trunk before digging it up. This will make it more difficult to get out of the ground since you could have used the long trunk as leverage. If it were me, I would dig out a decent size root ball about 12" from the edge of the trunk and about 12" from the surface. Once it is out of the ground cut off the bottom to 8" and cut the top to 12" and plant it in a pot using potting soil.
All this should be done by your hubby. Then you nurse it back to health. Next year we'll talk styling and trunk carving etc.
This has the potential of a killer Sumo.
 
Unless all you have are shohin-size trees, I would do like Cajun said and set it up for next year...
 
Doesn't look all that big as shown in pic 1. I size it against the shovel. It might be a bit too heavy for the lady though... but who cares... it already dug and planted. Styling should be the same as any other trees.
 
I'd say do it. Even if it ends up being something that you don't care for and trade/sell off down the road, it'll be a good experiment.
 
I see at least 100 dollars in trading value if not a lot more..even if it's not your style of tree it could easily be a nice investment for the future these trees have Monetary value after all.
 
I see at least 100 dollars in trading value if not a lot more..even if it's not your style of tree it could easily be a nice investment for the future these trees have Monetary value after all.
$100??!!
That is a $200 tree at least.

It is actually dug and planted…. I’ll be back in a year looking for that promised advice if all goes well!
There are many examples of big DRs in nature that fell or rot out. Yours can be made to look like DR in end stage.
 
I’m counting on you to help with that! However for now just hoping it’ll be happy…
I AM wondering if I should have chopped further this year or let it rest and recover and chop further another year. It’s suddenly super hot here.
 
aaah.. Why did you dig before waiting for responses?

I would have cut lower, and left it for the year, then dig in spring, with a decent whip in place (Or leave another year, and dig in 2026).
 
aaah.. Why did you dig before waiting for responses?

I would have cut lower, and left it for the year, then dig in spring, with a decent whip in place (Or leave another year, and dig in 2026).
This is, sadly, the best advice in this thread.
A tree is never again going to grow as rampantly as when it is still in the ground.

It won’t mean you’ll never have success, but it will take considerably longer. Thankfully, as your username suggests, you have patience in abundance.
 
I dug now for the same reason we had to cut it down. It was in deep shade and very sparse (25 ft tall and maybe 20 branches) I wanted it in a better location. At the time we were having unusually cool weather, and it is now in a location that they all seem to appreciate and I can regularly water. Fingers crossed…
 
Back
Top Bottom