Dawn redwood - help!!

[Eric H]

purchased this dawn redwood (my first) last summer from a reputable spot in Nashville. I trunk chopped it at the end of last growing season, to fit the coldframe I built for overwintering my trees. The trunk chop is now at 18”, the leader has grown 34”, so the total height from the soil surface to the top of the lead is 52”. I believe the tree is quite rootbound at this point, and needs a repotting. I’m in zone 7A, in the Ozarks. Questions:
1. How low can I trunk chop it, and is it too late in the year (or try an air layer)?
2. Is it too late in the year to repot? I don’t know these trees well, and while I know they are prolific growers, it was obviously well established in its pot. Additionally, what soil mix do you folks like for dawn redwoods? I want to begin really reducing this tree.
(I tried planting the trunk-chop as a cutting last year, failed).
Thoughts? Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

These guys are deciduous. Even though they look like a hemlock or coast redwood, you have to think of them like a Japanese maple. Don't do heavy work late in the season. As far as trunk chopping goes, you can cut them back hard (in the spring) but I wouldn't necessarily do so. Rather than think about "chopping" think about keeping a deadwood spire. Strip the foliage and bark you don't want, and focus on styling the remaining tree as a tree in nature that got struck by lightening, or otherwise lost the primary growth and reverted to a secondary line. Think like a tree and the result will be more successful The entire lower trunk is going to be (and should be) arrow straight. So if you shorten the tree make it meaningful (in a horticultural way).

As far as stubs and scars go, I would decide on your design first, and then work around/with them. Don't expect them to heal (necessarily) but rather lay out your design, and then carve them down and create short shari.

 

[Dav4]

I wouldn't re-pot or chop aggressively this late in summer... save that for next spring. Fwiw, these trees are very cold hardy, usda zone 4 I believe, so putting them in a cold frame in your location isn't necessary. I'd heel the pot into a mulch pile in the shade and leave it there for the winter. Typical bonsai soil will work just fine for these guys. They like water so you may need to water more frequently and give some wind protection in the spring.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

We’ve a number of Redwoods, including a Dawn, here. These are my thoughts.

All above advice is on target. Reduction chops in the growing season works well. Before summer is best.

Chopping back the top… per @Bonsai Nut is a good idea, yet that would likely be timed to be the final chop, in contrast to a yearly or bi yearly run of the mill reduction chop. Imho these chops should be higher then you want the ultimate height. Say 8-10” min for the first chop. One can always cut more later. Please seal your chops, it prevents delaminating of the bark and wire up a new apex each chop..

Keep lower growth to build the trunk. Cut the big branches only when smaller branches push at their base.

As the trunk reaches the desired trunk diameter, perhaps 4”min, that’s the time to sort out the final details of the apex.

It seems to me you might be actually talking about up potting to continue growing out the trunk vs a bonsai potting. If this is the case, September is a good time. Have a pot ready that is about 3”-4” greater in diameter to transfer to. We use about 75/25 premium garden mix / small bark (sifted).

Keep up potting each year until your trunk is optimal. Once the tree is plunked in a bonsai pot… things slow.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Eric H]

I am NOT looking to put in a bonsai pot… again, it’s 52” tall right now.
should I plant it in the ground instead of a grow pot? We’ll be in this house for another 3-4 years, a minimum of 2, so I can do that…

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Okey Dokey

52” is not all that big. Mine are routinely 9’ before I think of chopping.

If you can keep a Dawn in the ground at least 3 years that would be awesome!

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Eric H]

@Deep Sea Diver right on!
should I wait until mid winter to plant it in the ground?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Good question.

If it were me, this is what I do. (Pardon me if you’ve got this already.)

• Look for a good spot, gather materials and wait until the temperatures are reliably in the 70’s.
• If there is any round river rock around…we get it out of the streams here… grab a 5 gallon bucket of it.
• Dig the hole to fit the rootball plus 6-8” all around. Mix the native soil 50/50 with the mix mentioned above.
• Pour river rock in the bottom of the hole
• Tease the outside and bottom roots out.
• plant so the ground and tree surfaces match
• Create a doughnut mound around the outer edge of the rootball
• Water thoroughly
• Crack open a cold one

cheers
DSD sends

 

[rockm]

@Deep Sea Diver right on!
should I wait until mid winter to plant it in the ground?

Why would you plant it in mid-winter? Now is the time to plant trees--fall is when trees produce the most roots and put on woody tissue--as opposed to green growth. The ground in the fall retains warmth well into November or December to support that root growth. Waiting until mid-winter negates all of those advantages.

BTW a MINIMUM of three years in ground...less than that and you won't get much, if any, results and might as well keep it in a pot. It won't begin maximizing the resources in ground for at least that long. the saying about just planted trees is first year "sleep" second year "creep" third year "leap" Five years is good for a faster growing species like Dawn Redwood.

 

[Eric H]

@rockm I had read that mid/late winter, when deciduous trees are dormant, is the time to plant them. I thought this was common. Apparently, I was wrong! Thanks for the catch!!

 

[Dadayama]

I have and have always heard that the fall is the best time to plant... and don't forget to water if it gets dry in the winter.

Why It’s Great to Plant Trees in the Fall

For many people, spring has become the default season when it comes to planting or gardening, understandably so. Harsh winters and the lack of vegetation makes us excited to refresh our gardens and landscape our yards. Spring can be a great time of year to plant, depending on where you live...

arbordayblog.org

 

[karen82]

I don't want to take over your thread, but I have a similar question about a similar sized dawn redwood planted in ground. It has been in ground for 3 years now and I plan to dig it up next spring (I know another year or two would be better, but there are concerns about it being too close to the septic tank and I don't know how aggressive their roots are). I plan to chop it at the same time and I hear somewhat mixed advice about chopping. Some sources say to just treat it like other deciduous trees (chopped low) and others say they need to treated closer to a typical conifer and can't be cut back too much at one time. Ideally, I'd like to chop it fairly low and build an evenly tapered trunk rather than the lightning-struck look even though that takes longer.
What would be the best spot to chop it keeping in mind I'd like to chop low, but more importantly, I don't want to kill it. I would be pruning roots at the same time (to move the tree) but probably not barerooting it.