Dawn redwood forest

[Lutonian]

Great pics. Look like they live in the same exact conditions as Bald Cypress.

yes seem very similar to the way bald cypress grows, also there is another Chinese tree that is similar the Glyptostrobus Pensilis it is very similar to the dawn redwood & swamp cypress. I have both dawn redwood and swamp cypress in by garden I will now test growing a dawn redwood submerged from this spring to see impact on growth rate

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[LittleDingus]

yes seem very similar to the way bald cypress grows, also there is another Chinese tree that is similar the Glyptostrobus Pensilis it is very similar to the dawn redwood & swamp cypress. I have both dawn redwood and swamp cypress in by garden I will now test growing a dawn redwood submerged from this spring to see impact on growth rate

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While I can water my dawn redwoods very frequently and do keep them on the wet side, mine have started to show signs of stress if I keep submerged for too long.

It looks to me those pictures may be of a flood plain area. I wonder if they are only submerged for short periods of time?

I also have both redwood and cypress. The cypress I can keep submerged 100% of the time (while above freezing). I get some root rot on my dawns and they start yellowing after a couple of weeks submerged. Something to keep a eye out for. I look forward to others experience with this!

 

[SilverShoe99]

While I can water my dawn redwoods very frequently and do keep them on the wet side, mine have started to show signs of stress if I keep submerged for too long.

It looks to me those pictures may be of a flood plain area. I wonder if they are only submerged for short periods of time?

I also have both redwood and cypress. The cypress I can keep submerged 100% of the time (while above freezing). I get some root rot on my dawns and they start yellowing after a couple of weeks submerged. Something to keep a eye out for. I look forward to others experience with this!

I have largely the same experience as you, @LittleDingus.

I have a bald cypress, a coast redwood, and two dawn redwoods. I keep the bald cypress in standing water for months at a time, starting as soon as it starts getting hot in late spring, until it really starts cooling down in the fall.

While the redwoods seem to want more water than just a daily watering (or two), they also seem to resent the same treatment as the bald cypress, i.e. sitting in standing water for extended periods of time. So, while it's definitely not scientific, I've found the redwoods seem to like being left sitting in a tray of standing water for a couple days at a time, then I take them out and water them "normally" for a few days, and then back into some standing water, etc...z

 

[LittleDingus]

I have largely the same experience as you, @LittleDingus.

I have a bald cypress, a coast redwood, and two dawn redwoods. I keep the bald cypress in standing water for months at a time, starting as soon as it starts getting hot in late spring, until it really starts cooling down in the fall.

While the redwoods seem to want more water than just a daily watering (or two), they also seem to resent the same treatment as the bald cypress, i.e. sitting in standing water for extended periods of time. So, while it's definitely not scientific, I've found the redwoods seem to like being left sitting in a tray of standing water for a couple days at a time, then I take them out and water them "normally" for a few days, and then back into some standing water, etc...z

I have some in 3" deep drip trays just to help prevent staining of my deck. Our spring rains fill them quickly. If I don't drain them for the redwoods (I have coastal as well) after a few days, they start to look stressed. I've repotted some of the dawnscafter this and have found the bottom root layer that was in the water rotted.

There may be a temperature component as well. The standing water is frequently cool (< 60F). It may be that they are more resilient to warmer waters too?

 

[Lutonian]

While I can water my dawn redwoods very frequently and do keep them on the wet side, mine have started to show signs of stress if I keep submerged for too long.

It looks to me those pictures may be of a flood plain area. I wonder if they are only submerged for short periods of time?

I also have both redwood and cypress. The cypress I can keep submerged 100% of the time (while above freezing). I get some root rot on my dawns and they start yellowing after a couple of weeks submerged. Something to keep a eye out for. I look forward to others experience with this!

I have a few Dawn redwood so I will see what happens with keeping one submerged I will post the result on this site. I think you are right about pic being a flood plane also the environment look artificial like a man made landscape.

 

[RKatzin]

Well done! That's a very nice arrangement for a first time go at it.
I'm in the Cascades also, but I'm at the far southern end just north of Grants Pass, Oregon.

 

[Timbo]

I Liked the rocks in the back, Adair is right though, those big rocks in the front were too big and distracting a bit.
I love Dawn redwoods!

 

[AlainK]

Hi, complete bonsai newbie here. I started a dawn redwood forest from local nursery cuttings last winter

They can make beautiful landscape bonsai. People love the aerial, soft green of the leaves, when I had one, it was a favourite for my friends.

Half the trees died because they were in a very shallow pot and I couldn't, or didn't think of protecting from a week of deep frost (-8° to -10°c)

I still have two of them that I keep in a tray filled with water at the bottom of the pot in summer (+/- 5 cm for pots about 15 cm)...

 

[andrewiles]

I decided to put them in some grow boxes for a year or two before adding back into the forest. This gives me a chance to try that fun looking nebari board technique. Plus, hopefully I can get some experience seeing the difference in growth between the two environments.

Best I can tell the buds are swelling and it's a good time to repot. First picture. It's still in the 40s here in Seattle but they're impatient and I'm supportive of that.

The trees are still quite small so I think I can put 4 together in one Andersen tray and still benefit. Second picture.

Finally, since I want to encourage growth for trunk thickness and since DRs like moist, organic soil, I'm planning to use some potting soil I have sitting around.

I'll post a follow up picture after I get them on the boards. If anyone thinks I'm doing something horribly wrong please chime in. Goal is to not kill my first forest If the powers that be feel this thread is better in the newbie forum feel free to move.

P.S. I wonder if I'm the only person who invariably takes over the kitchen counter for bonsai work. Family is unimpressed.

 

[andrewiles]

Crazy root growth. This is just one year since they were last repotted:



I decided to place each one in its own tray, rather than groups of 4. These were purchased as tiny nursery cuttings and the roots were not coming out evenly at the base. I cut most of the base off to leave the highest layer of roots and then screwed the cut base into some plywood.

 

[andrewiles]

While I was at it I figured I'd try a tourniquet on some of the trees that had no good root plane. Since I didn't want to cut off the branches to slip a washer over the trunk I tried a piece of steel flashing I found lying around. Not sure if it will work, but the metal is sharp enough to cut into the trunk and hopefully facilitate the process.

 

[queenofsheba52]

Hey Andrew, any updates on this project?

 

[andrewiles]

Yep, they're all kicking. I'm still growing them out separately. Probably a few years before they go back into one pot.

Just finished repotting some of them this spring. They really didn't need it but a good chance to learn about root growth and response to the board placement.

Four of the trees. Yep, the boards from post #30 above are still somewhere under each one.
First two are trees that have undergone one additional year of root pruning. Bigger roots and more movement.
Second two are shots from before I removed the uppermost roots and used nails to add some movement. Didn't take aftershots


The ground layers, like in post #31, all made it. But not much root growth above the girdle. Maybe make it tighter next time so it bites faster. Here's one with the trunk below the girdle already removed.


Not attempting to do anything with the tops right now, just trying to establish the lower trunk and main roots first.

 

[queenofsheba52]

Very nice! I have some Dawn Redwood seedlings from 2018 that I have been planning to put into a forest. Each year I look at them in the spring and say, "Eh, maybe another year." After looking at Bill Valavanis' site, I think I'll do it next week. The buds are swelling and the pot is ready!

Enjoy your trees!

--Helene

 

[TreeFrenKen]

How are they lookin now?

 

[andrewiles]

They're all quite happy. Turns out it's really hard to kill a dawn redwood. Or otherwise stop it from growing like crazy. I don't have anything to post right now but I'll show updates during late winter repotting.