Dawn Redwood in Progress

[Darth Masiah]

6/2015
i saw this picture of a redwood online and got inspired.


so i ordered a dawn redwood from Brussels Bonsai

11/2015


3/2016
cut back and repotted to see the roots. i didn't like the nebari so i figured I'd try to make another one. my plan was to build a nice base while growing it out and experimenting with how the branches grew.










3/2017
the layer callused over so i figured I'd wait and try again later


3/2018

 

[Darth Masiah]

5/2018
i layerd it again but i didn't get any pics. i made sure i cut in good.


6/2018
there's been a response


9/2018



3/2019
time for a repot to check out the results of the layer. i also cut back to a new leader to get rid of reverse taper. after seeing the roots, I'd advise a repot at the beginning of fall after you layer in spring to cut back the most vigorous new roots for more even growth. these guys are super strong and can handle the work no problem.





4/2019

 

[Darth Masiah]

11/2020
i let it grow through 2019 and '20 with minimal disturbance. I'm sure i could have repotted this year and cut it back, but i was busy. the chop has healed nicely. make sure you make chops as concave as you can. this spring I'm going to repot and aggressively cut the roots back for a smaller container. I'm also going to trunk chop to encourage some buds to come out on the trunk section i just grew. then when the first flush has hardened off, I'll go ahead and cut back to the bud i want as a new leader for the third section of trunk. I'm going to start reducing those three lower branches too. they're too big for the final design, but I've been having fun experimenting with cutting them back.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Nice radial nebari in the final set of photos.

 

[stu929]

Love this thread showing the progression.

When are you chopping yours ? I have one have been debating on when to cut. What month did you do your chop ? I'm in a zone quite a bit cooler but our summers do get pretty ugly sometimes.

It's impressive to see how fast that tree thickened up.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Darth Masiah]

When are you chopping yours ? I have one have been debating on when to cut. What month did you do your chop?

i plan on chopping/repotting in march. looks like the buds really start moving when the temps start averaging 60°f in the day, 40°f at night. when i see green coming out of the buds i know it's time.

 

[MrWunderful]

The air layer was a smart idea.

 

[Darth Masiah]

The air layer was a smart idea.

hell yeah. the original base from a cutting was trash. i noticed on the cuttings i took the roots usually come out on one side instead of radially. this is definitely the reason the rootbase on mine was so ugly.

 

[stu929]

The air layer was a smart idea.

Agreed. This is something I must master this year. I had 0 luck this year, next year must be better!

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

Awesome progression, thanks for sharing. Agree with springtime cuts!

Was the layer a ground layer of sorts? Hormone/Cut above root system, raise soil? Sphagnum?

 

[Darth Masiah]

Agreed. This is something I must master this year. I had 0 luck this year, next year must be better!

if you look at the pic of the first time i tried layering it, you can see i cut in a little bit and the space between cuts that was cleared was maybe a 1/4". this failed so fast it was very funny you have to really cut down into the cambium layer until you're uncomfortable and make sure the space you clear in-between the top and bottom cuts is more than a little. i also smear clonex all over the place, but i don't know how much it helps.

 

[Darth Masiah]

Was the layer a ground layer of sorts? Hormone/Cut above root system, raise soil? Sphagnum?

yep. small amount of moss, and then soil.

 

[andrewiles]

Really like to watch these progressions.

Newbie question here. Looking at the new leader in post #3, it has a kink at the last chop point that seems at odds with the straight base. I'm trying to visualize how this ends up. How is that dealt with, or incorporated into the final design?

I picked up a similar tree from a nursery this fall and will try the same thing.

 

[PeaceLoveBonsai]

We all gonna act like this didn’t happen?

RIP to that finger.

 

[Darth Masiah]

Really like to watch these progressions.

Newbie question here. Looking at the new leader in post #3, it has a kink at the last chop point that seems at odds with the straight base. I'm trying to visualize how this ends up. How is that dealt with, or incorporated into the final design?

I picked up a similar tree from a nursery this fall and will try the same thing.

yeah, r.i.p. that perfectly straight trunk. the curve happened because i chopped back to an already established shoot that was set at the base already. stronger wire might've straightened it a little more. if i had removed all the branches and made a flat chop instead, i might have got a bunch of new shoots coming straight out of the top. when i got the tree, it looked like they chopped the top before sending it to me. in post #1 you can see the tree threw a big sucker from the chop point growing straight up. as for incorporating the curve into the final design, I'm not sure. guess it'll have to be a little wiggy. i see a lot of dawn redwood bonsai with thick bases and trunks that don't have a real apex because they just get chopped back and carved. the apex gets formed from a side branch off the cutdown and carved up trunk.

 

[Darth Masiah]

We all gonna act like this didn’t happen?

RIP to that finger.

that moth was monstrous biggest one i ever seen.

 

[Timbo]

I envy you southerners growing season.

 

[AlainK]

Very interesting experience "Darth Messiah" , i'll follow this thread with much interest, thanks for your input.

My problem is "how to manage the big cut that makes the design of the tree look "bayonet-like" ?..."

I have the same question for others of my trees (not only Taxodium).

 

[AJL]

Thankyou for this great progression- Its really useful and its inspired me as Ive got a couple of Dawn redwood with poor nebari, so I will be trying the same ground layering method this spring; is it best to start this after the needles have fully emerged?

 

[Darth Masiah]

I will be trying the same ground layering method this spring; is it best to start this after the needles have fully emerged?

yeah, just wait till the first flush is hardened off.