Dawn redwood [and others] from seed

Newish in Oregon

Yamadori
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I'm looking into growing some Dawn redwoods from seed and, like so much else, seem to be finding conflicting guidance on vendor and when to plant.
Vendors
Many have spoken highly of Sheffield's but their current stock is identified as 62% purity [what's the other 38%??] and 53% germination.
Others have said RareExoticSeeds is not bad and their prices are exceptional. But they don't provide any info on germination rate.
So what's your experience w/ the 2?

And then looking at RareExoticSeeds, I could add Coast Redwoods, Sequoia gigantea, Zelkova serrata, Ulmus parvifolia and Cryptomeria seeds for little $.

Planting Time
Seems that with 2 week stratification I could plant the dawn redwood 'now'. Have others found spring planting successful?
What guidance on planting the other varieities from RareExotic [if I went that route]?
 

Taste

Mame
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Cornell farms in right outside Portland had some yesterday. If that’s nearby you.

Ahh hastily replied. I don’t think they had seeds however.
 

LittleDingus

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Sheffields for the win :D

I do not stratify redwoods...any of them. Dawn redwoods germinate better for me when surface sown. I sprinkle them on the top of the soil and dust with enough soil to keep the seed moist. A humidity dome helps. I get very good germination this way.

Here's a "for fun" ridiculous project I started during the Covid lockdown that may have more details. I was updating it monthly for a while.


Plant them in more soil and they get big fast!
 

Newish in Oregon

Yamadori
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Cornell farms in right outside Portland had some yesterday. If that’s nearby you.

Ahh hastily replied. I don’t think they had seeds however.
Thanks for the suggestion. We're in NE and haven't been to Cornell Farms but sounds like I should check them out sometime.
 

Newish in Oregon

Yamadori
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Have to be seeds? Fwiw dawn redwoods are incredibly easy to grow from hardwood cuttings. If you buy a tree from one of the local nurseries you can take some cuttings right now and have an army of saplings by mid summer.

March '21
View attachment 421255

July '21
View attachment 421256

Feburary '22
View attachment 421258
Wow! Looks like they root really easily. I might add that as another project. Your cuttings look to be ~1/4" to 3/4". Is that right? Anything special you do for them?
 

Newish in Oregon

Yamadori
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Sheffields for the win :D

I do not stratify redwoods...any of them. Dawn redwoods germinate better for me when surface sown. I sprinkle them on the top of the soil and dust with enough soil to keep the seed moist. A humidity dome helps. I get very good germination this way.

Here's a "for fun" ridiculous project I started during the Covid lockdown that may have more details. I was updating it monthly for a while.


Plant them in more soil and they get big fast!
I did find some of your threads which were indeed helpful. I couldn't tell whether you were planting seeds 'year round' or just in the fall. In addition to Sheffields, I think you alluded to another unnamed vendor that gave good germination on first planting but not so good later on
 

LittleDingus

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I did find some of your threads which were indeed helpful. I couldn't tell whether you were planting seeds 'year round' or just in the fall. In addition to Sheffields, I think you alluded to another unnamed vendor that gave good germination on first planting but not so good later on

I usually sow a few groups of seed of different types in the fall to have something fun to watch over winter. Seeds are easy to fit under lights :)

I'll also sow seed in the spring...but usually not as much as I have repots and the garden and landscaping to start tending to then.
 

Taste

Mame
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Thanks for the suggestion. We're in NE and haven't been to Cornell Farms but sounds like I should check them out sometime.
Yeah there is nice stuff if you look around. Be sure to check the back area with the natives and patio 3 just below.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
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I order from Sheffields, but I have also ordered from F.W. Schumaker with good results.

If Sheffields doesn't have it, Schumaker probably will.
 

andrewiles

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Wow! Looks like they root really easily. I might add that as another project. Your cuttings look to be ~1/4" to 3/4". Is that right? Anything special you do for them?
Pencil width is good, though I've rooted up to 1".

In our PNW climate I'd do the following:
  • Get a plant now and start as soon as you can. It's a bit late but doable.
  • 6-12" for each
  • Twist off the buds on the lower part (that would be below the soil)
  • Apply a rooting hormone like CloneX or Hormodin
  • Use potting soil so they have plent of water and nutrients later this summer. You can switch to whatever you want next year.
  • Place outside to keep the tops cold right now. But don't let them freeze.
  • Place them on bottom heat if you can. Like one of those seedling mats at Amazon. Not needed, but it can help.
  • Ignore them for a few months.
  • Once temps rise and the sun makes its yearly PNW appearance make sure they only get soft morning sun. Keep the soil moist but not wet.
  • They will have an initial flush without roots, then they will pause.
  • The worst thing to do at this time is give them more than very light sun. They will die since they can't provide water to the needles.
  • Later into spring you'll start to see a second flush of growth. This means roots have started and you can slowly give them more light.
Good luck! They are fun trees. If you want something colorful head over to https://karamnursery.com/ and lug home one of the Amber Glow cultivars. They are bright yellow variants of the species.
 
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