Newbie...w/1st giant redwood sequoia. What to do.

wortloch

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Hi. I have been growing my Giant Redwood Sequoia and I want to bonsai it. I would very much like suggestions. It's about 36 inches and has a great root system.
 

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sorce

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Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce
 

ColinFraser

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Welcome. It would be helpful if you added your location to your profile.

Did you grow this from one of the souvenir clones they sell to visitors at the giant sequoias? How old is it, and how long have you had it? I don't have experience with them as bonsai, but they grow in landscapes here with supplemental water.

Though your photos are indoors, I assume you are growing it outside somewhere. Do you have a place where it could be planted in he ground or a large box? I think the trunk probably needs to be thicker for it to be believable as bonsai . . .
 

Cypress187

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Yeah it's to high for it's thickness i think (so make it small or grow it fat). Welcome to the forum.
 

wortloch

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Welcome. It would be helpful if you added your location to your profile.

Did you grow this from one of the souvenir clones they sell to visitors at the giant sequoias? How old is it, and how long have you had it? I don't have experience with them as bonsai, but they grow in landscapes here with supplemental water.

Though your photos are indoors, I assume you are growing it outside somewhere. Do you have a place where it could be planted in he ground or a large box? I think the trunk probably needs to be thicker for it to be believable as bonsai . . .
My father was growing it and kept it very healthy. The roots are in great condition and it's about 8 -10 years old.

I could plant it in the ground or in a box at this point. I would live the trunk to be wider. How can I accomplish this?
 

wortloch

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This will start to look more tree like in about 900 years. Patience.
Thanks Smoke. My goal is to pass this on to next generations. In the meantime any advise?
 

Cypress187

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You can't do both at the same time, growing fat means you let it grow in full ground (garden / (very)big container). And to make it small, u could chop it, but its a conifer so i think so that's maybe more difficuilt / not possible.
 

EverydayDiesel

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I have 5 of these that are much smaller. You mean I cant chop it when it gets too high?
 

ColinFraser

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I have 5 of these that are much smaller. You mean I cant chop it when it gets too high?
If you're trying to thicken the trunk, then there's no such things "too high." A leader needs to run wild and completely unpruned to add girth to the trunk. The time to chop it is when the base approaches the desired final thickness, as it will mostly stop thickening when chopped.
 
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Vin

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If you're trying to thicken the trunk, then there's no such things "too high." A leader needs to run wild and completely unpruned to add girth to the trunk. The time to chop it is when the base approaches the desired final thickness, as it will mostly stop thickening when chopped.
This is where it seems a lot of people get confused. They hear or read about chopping and think that's what their supposed to do as soon as bring something home from the nursery (or where ever). Then after they chop it they ask about thickening the trunk. Well, if you chop it you're most certainly going to set back the thickening process for quite some time. If we're wanting to thicken the trunk, we need as much going on up top and down below as possible. The more healthy foliage and roots you have the more vigor the tree will have which translates to growth. Now, if we're trying to control the growth or direct it in such a way as to create the final image we have in mind then we chop it.
 

ColinFraser

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They hear or read about chopping and think that's what their supposed to do as soon as bring something home from the nursery (or where ever).
Yep. Although, that can be the right thing to do . . . if you had the eye/cash/luck/timing to purchase a piece of stock that already has a good trunk/base.
Edit: determining if you did or not seems to be the hard part ;)
 
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Bunjeh

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First thing first. Get it outside before it dies. Those things turn in to kindling in about a week indoors.
 
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