can dawn redwood be ground layered successfully?

[butlern]

I have an unusual cultivar of dawn redwood (Schulmann's nordlicht) and I think it's worth trying to make something of the tree... if I can fix the base.

Turns out I didn't dig down far enough into the container when I discovered it in the nursery.

It has really bad reverse taper about 3 inches under the soil/potting bark. Really bad.

The swell above would be a potentially nice base, if I could get some roots to come out there.

I searched like mad to find an example of ground layering this species, but no dice.

So... can it be done, and what might be the predicted likelihood of success with this species? Are redwoods largely responsive or unresponsive to these interventions?

Finally, is it too late in the season (zone 5b) to try something like this? If attempted at this time of year, would overwintering the tree (in am unheated garage) with the ground layer still under development be the advised approach?

Thanks in advance.

Noah

 

[BrianBay9]

Well I've successfully air layered a dawn redwood, so I would assume they would ground layer. I think I would play it safe in your location, and wait until next spring. My air layers in Wisconsin usually started in May, and separated in late August - expecting the first freeze in early October.

 

[butlern]

Just an addendum... (adden-dumb?)... I only recent cut the top of the container and scraped away the surface soil...

Here's what we found (heartbreaking):


And here is the base of the tree, more generally:


And the rest of the tree. Nice light green, super soft foliage. I really like it. But now deeply saddened by the base:

 

[GGB]

Wow, for a dawn redwood I really like that. Cuttings are easy to strike on regular dawn redwoods, I take that as a suggestion that ground layering wouldn't be hard

 

[Stickroot]

This is a pretty fat air layer. 3/4" branch I took. It filled the bag with roots in 5 weeks!

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

I have an unusual cultivar of dawn redwood (Schulmann's nordlicht) and I think it's worth trying to make something of the tree... if I can fix the base.

Turns out I didn't dig down far enough into the container when I discovered it in the nursery.

It has really bad reverse taper about 3 inches under the soil/potting bark. Really bad.

The swell above would be a potentially nice base, if I could get some roots to come out there.

I searched like mad to find an example of ground layering this species, but no dice.

So... can it be done, and what might be the predicted likelihood of success with this species? Are redwoods largely responsive or unresponsive to these interventions?

Finally, is it too late in the season (zone 5b) to try something like this? If attempted at this time of year, would overwintering the tree (in am unheated garage) with the ground layer still under development be the advised approach?

Thanks in advance.

Noah

Hi Noah,
Unsure if you have done anything with this amazing tree. Yes shame about the reverse taper but if you were to girdle the trunk ( as per air layer) and then mound up more potting mix over girdle ( like 4-6 inches) and wait. I think you will have a great tree and excellent flare ( nebari) etc.
Forgot to check how cold it gets your way, but because you are not really disturbing the tree from its pot, I would be inclined to get going now and by Spring/early Summer it will be great.
Charles.

 

[butlern]

hi Charles,

I have not done anything. I was planning to wait until the spring to attempt a ground layer. Gets pretty cold here in Iowa (-10 C for average low temps in January), so the tree will reside in an attached, unheated garage this winter in the hopes it doesn't drop too far below freezing for too long.

I almost considered starting this summer and letting it go until next summer, but I think I will start in late winter/early spring.

Worried about hard freeze (even in the garage) killing the new roots that might emerge this fall (if I did the layer this year).

Noah

 

[butlern]

Correction--planning to start in late spring early summer.... need some foliage up to to feed new root growth, yeah?

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Correction--planning to start in late spring early summer.... need some foliage up to to feed new root growth, yeah?

Ok, that's pretty damn cold, even for the dawn redwoods.
Understand your thinking, and hope your garage doesn't freeze too bad.
Just going into Spring here, and you guys trees starting to wind down etc.
Charles