Attila, what happeed to your little redwoods? I realize Southern California isn't the best climate for them, but I suppose you could create conditions for growing redwoods. I would guess that heavy shade cloth with little or no direct sun coming through. Even here, with the often cool and foggy climate, I keep my redwoods in mostly shade. And plenty of water.
Re. foliage. Redwoods will get very compact after a few years of pinching, feeding, and more and more pinching. The one I posted was a scraggly little thing when I bought it.
Mike
I pruned them too much, too late in the season, and left them in the scorching sun.
Well, I learned now, and I have a greenhouse as well, so keeping them moist, shaded, and protected, is not a problem anymore.
But it is high time that someone publishes some bonsai literature about these trees. I have found nothing out there, showing how exactly they need to be trained.
For starter, how do you exactly pinch the foliage, and when. I imagine the pinching off the leaves doesn't do much - but it may stimulate new branches....I have no idea.
So the young branches must be pinched - but when? A new shoot may be pinched when 1 or 2 inches long (very young and not yet lignified), or when it starts lignifying? Again, I have no idea.
So, do we have to make all the mistakes, and re-invent all the techniques, or can someone point to a reference literature? We have a thousand and one books on black pines, but NOTHING on redwood. Besides, there must be many similarities in training the Coast-, Dawn-redwood, and Baldies - although the latters are deciduous. I grow the latters as well, but I am really in the dark when it comes to specific techniques.