California Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens Soquel) question re: potting up

[sixemkay]

Hello Nuts,

I just purchased a 3 foot redwood sapling (1-gallon) from my local nursery with the intention of training it into bonsai eventually (after 3-5 years of uninhibited growth). The plan was to just water and feed until dormancy, then pot-up. But I checked the roots today and this poor tree is completely rootbound.

Would it be foolish of me to loosen up the roots just a little and put the tree in a larger pot with some fresh soil? I will be vigilant to disturb the roots as little as possible, and definitely not remove any. I want to help the tree fatten up as much as possible....on one hand I think that making a little more room for roots would help the tree put out another flush of growth before dormancy. On the other hand I think I could shock the tree and hinder any growth it could have had the rest of this year-- and maybe even set it back for longer.

What would you do?

 

[eeeealmo]

Hello Nuts,

I just purchased a 3 foot redwood sapling (1-gallon) from my local nursery with the intention of training it into bonsai eventually (after 3-5 years of uninhibited growth). The plan was to just water and feed until dormancy, then pot-up. But I checked the roots today and this poor tree is completely rootbound.

Would it be foolish of me to loosen up the roots just a little and put the tree in a larger pot with some fresh soil? I will be vigilant to disturb the roots as little as possible, and definitely not remove any. I want to help the tree fatten up as much as possible....on one hand I think that making a little more room for roots would help the tree put out another flush of growth before dormancy. On the other hand I think I could shock the tree and hinder any growth it could have had the rest of this year-- and maybe even set it back for longer.

What would you do?

No sense in risking it. Just be mindful of watering and make sure to fertilize regularly.

 

[MrWunderful]

It should be fine one more year. One of the casualties in my early bonsai enthusiast days was a sequoia that I slip potted mid summer (amongst others). Just set it up for success in spring.

 

[PiñonJ]

Why do you want to leave it alone for 3-5 years? If that's your plan, just plant it in the ground. Otherwise, get it in a bonsai pot this fall and set initial structure a year later.

 

[hemmy]

What would you do?

Echoing others, diligent watering and repot in spring. Even if you are growing it on for thickening, you’ll want to work the roots to set up the nebari. I THINK that work is best done during the cooler wet spring.

Your location is Sacramento? The weather shows 104-106degF this week. I wouldn’t repot during that! Do you get Santa Ana/El Diablo winds in the fall? I also wouldn’t repot then. Are there Coast Redwoods in the ground around Sacramento? I wouldn’t think they could take the heat and lack of humidity. Even around our coastal area they get pretty ragged looking by late fall.

As far as thickening, larger container or ground. Some nursery growers have a 4” rule, which is only up-pot to a container 4” larger on a side from the rootball. This avoids growing in too large of containers that stay saturated and become anaerobic (although coarser substrates would counter that somewhat). A fast growing redwood can colonize a pot in a single season and can be shifted to larger containers during the growing season to keep it growing. Bonsai-ists abhor slip potting, but I think that is because it was incorrectly used in potbound plants declining in health and in poor soil to larger pots surrounded with fast draining mix. That is a recipe for disaster. But nurseries up-pot plants with solid rootballs (not severely rootbound) to the same substrate all the time.

Although, I haven’t grown sacrifice branches to thicken redwood trunks, I have to used them to thicken branches. There is no reason why you can’t train the branches and then let some on the back and top go to thicken the trunk. For a lower sacrifice branch, wire or train an extension straight up and they will get strong as they race to get to the “canopy” for max light.

They are so magical to grow, but they are a handful! Good luck!

 

[sixemkay]

Thank you everyone for your replies! I will resist the desire to repot until the appropriate time next year. The roots are probably not choking themselves and they do look very healthy and happy.

Why do you want to leave it alone for 3-5 years? If that's your plan, just plant it in the ground. Otherwise, get it in a bonsai pot this fall and set initial structure a year later.

I don't have any land where I live , just the building I live in. I grow my plants on my balcony and the front stairs.

I like the idea of putting it in a bonsai pot sooner and styling it as a juvenile tree rather than waiting for it to thicken into something more mature looking.

Your location is Sacramento? The weather shows 104-106degF this week. I wouldn’t repot during that! Do you get Santa Ana/El Diablo winds in the fall? I also wouldn’t repot then. Are there Coast Redwoods in the ground around Sacramento? I wouldn’t think they could take the heat and lack of humidity. Even around our coastal area they get pretty ragged looking by late fall.

Yes the weather has been/ is forecast to be in the low 100s. It's obviously a really bad time to do any damage to a tree, but sometimes my desire to do something is so strong that I convince myself those things don't matter. Good news though: I didn't do anything to the tree.

Our falls are very hot here. Temperatures could be in the 90s until October and we don't usually get a drop of rain until December or later. And yes, we get the Diablo winds.

We do have Coast Redwoods around here, especially near the wetter areas and higher elevations. The ones down here in the city, which is at 38', are pretty crispy and sad looking if they aren't well cared for. The redwoods that are planted as part of landscaping look much happier. Perhaps they only survive here because of the delta breeze? which brings cooler temperatures to us everynight (typically 35 degrees difference between night and day).

On a personal note, I lived most of my life in Ventura County. My family is still there. Small world.

 

[sixemkay]

Question for people familiar with this species (or evergreen conifers generally)...and I apologize if this isn't the correct thread...

How do I know my tree is dormant? Are there any obvious signs to look for or do I just need to watch closely for the tree to stop growing?

Thank you for your advice

 

[Bonsai Nut]

How do I know my tree is dormant? Are there any obvious signs to look for or do I just need to watch closely for the tree to stop growing?

Listen for the snoring

Seriously though, it takes trees a long time to go into dormancy, and a long time to come out. In Sacramento, in zone 9B, your trees are probably only fully dormant in January and February, maybe a week or two earlier or later depending on the year and weather. I would expect to see spring growth starting in March. So think February for repotting... just before your tree is waking up.

As others have pointed out, this is absolutely the worst time of the year to do any root work. It might be mild weather up there now, but I'm sure you can remember years when it was in the 100's even in October. California tends to stay cooler longer in the spring, and warmer longer in the fall, than other parts of the US.

 

[sixemkay]

, but I'm sure you can remember years when it was in the 100's even in October. California tends to stay cooler longer in the spring, and warmer longer in the fall, than other parts of the US.

Thanks for the fast response! You are right, our weather here is about 3 months behind the traditional “calendar weather” cycle..

I have no intention to repot right now. I just can’t find any information online that states what to look for in evergreen conifers to know they are dormant. Maybe there aren’t any signs? You just need to know your tree...?

I have a throw away ficus to play with when I get itchy fingers That helps me stay disciplined when it comes to my three trees.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Depending on the conifer, and where in the country you live, they may actually change appearance dramatically during the winter. But not coast redwoods. They grow natively in such a narrow band of conditions, with mild winters, that they don't change much during the winter. They just pause in their growth cycle.

I have seen some photos of junipers in a hard dormancy that I thought were dead due to grey or copper-colored foliage. However after a few weeks of sun, they woke up and turned a healthy dark green. Generally speaking, the change is usually not that evident.

 

[sixemkay]

@bonsainut Very helpful! Thank you