Sequoia care in southeast US

[LokiLB]

During a trip to Oregon, I acquired a Sequoia seedling. Potted it up and it seemed to enjoy the winter here. It will always have to be a container plant, so it'll probably be trained as a bonsai at some point.

Now that it is starting to get closer to summer, I'm concerned about the little guy being outside. Everything I've read says that Sequoia don't handle heat and humidity well. Humidity here tends to range between 50-100% and the temperatures will be getting into the 90s soon. Last summer, we had a stretch of ~110F highs with humidity.

I have two options for the little guy. Put it inside under the grow lights or next to the window in my office. The grow light area is more humid and stays around 78F. The seedling may outgrow the grow light area. The office is colder and drier. I currently have my cacti in my office window so they don't melt. So it gets plenty of sun.

What is the max temp and humidity combo recommended for the seedling?
Do you think the grow light set up (warmer, more humid) or the office (colder, drier) would be better for the seedling?

 

[Dav4]

I can't answer your questions specifically but I'd advise against bringing it inside...imo, either inside location for an extended period will result in a dead tree. I doubt humidity will be an issue, and shade during the hottest time of day might be a good idea.......but it needs to be outside.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

It definitely won't survive indoors. It's going to need to stay outdoors year round.

 

[LokiLB]

So you think 95-100F highs and ~75 lows both with high humidity is better than bringing it inside?

Because leaving it outside also seems like a good way to kill it. Bringing it in for summer seems like the reverse of what I do for my cold intolerant plants.

 

[coh]

Put it outside. Even better, plant it outside.

Here, I'll do some of your research for you: There is a website called www.giant-sequoia.com where they sell giant sequoia trees, give care information, and have photos of giant sequoia trees growing in different parts of the world. I didn't see any specifically listed in Louisiana, but there are some in Texas, Florida, and Alabama: https://www.giant-sequoia.com/gallery/usa/alabama/

Keeping hardy trees indoors is difficult and you are not likely going to be able to provide good conditions for it long term, especially as it grows.

Good luck...

 

[LokiLB]

I wasn't going to keep it inside year round. That would be silly. Especially considering it likes cold, rainy, and humid.

And I've looked at that website. Somehow I missed the Alabama tree.
Everything else I've read says that they can handle hot and dry or cold and humid, but not hot and humid.

Guess I'll just see how it does. If we get another heat wave, it's coming inside. I lost plants native to the Gulf coast last summer. No way the sequoia is surviving that.

And ground is completely not an option.

 

[petegreg]

Sequoiadendron gig. USDA 5-9.
http://floridata.com/Plants/Taxodiaceae/Sequoiadendron giganteum/633

http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-louisiana-usda-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php

...just theoretically.

 

[Vin]

I've tried to grow them several times and they didn't make it. I currently have a Coast and it's struggling to make it as well. I'll stick with Dawns and BC from now on. There are no issues with them in our climate.

 

[Dav4]

I wasn't going to keep it inside year round. That would be silly. Especially considering it likes cold, rainy, and humid.

And I've looked at that website. Somehow I missed the Alabama tree.
Everything else I've read says that they can handle hot and dry or cold and humid, but not hot and humid.

Guess I'll just see how it does. If we get another heat wave, it's coming inside. I lost plants native to the Gulf coast last summer. No way the sequoia is surviving that.

And ground is completely not an option.

There isn't a tree on the planet that wants to be inside your house for any length of time, even during a heat wave in Louisiana. If you lost trees native to your area last year, it was most likely due to a horticultural issue, right? Bringing a temperate tree into your house because you think it'll do better there is just a plain old bad idea.

 

[coh]

Well, maybe there won't be any more heat waves in Louisiana?

 

[CamdenJim]

Well, maybe there won't be any more heat waves in Louisiana?

And maybe Miss Piggy will sprout wings and move the tree to a higher elevation for the six months of summer.
(I must be having a snarky day. I would apologize but I'm still giggling at my own weak wit.)

 

[LokiLB]

I've tried to grow them several times and they didn't make it. I currently have a Coast and it's struggling to make it as well. I'll stick with Dawns and BC from now on. There are no issues with them in our climate.

Was it summer they had issues with?
Because mine handled winter very well.

If it's likely to die outside anyways, nothing to lose by seeing if it can survive inside.

 

[Vin]

And maybe Miss Piggy will sprout wings and move the tree to a higher elevation for the six months of summer.
(I must be having a snarky day. I would apologize but I'm still giggling at my own weak wit.)

I never knew Miss Piggy was from Louisiana.

 

[LokiLB]

There isn't a tree on the planet that wants to be inside your house for any length of time, even during a heat wave in Louisiana. If you lost trees native to your area last year, it was most likely due to a horticultural issue, right? Bringing a temperate tree into your house because you think it'll do better there is just a plain old bad idea.

I lost a sundew, not a tree. It's horticultural care hadn't changed.

If being outside would kill or damage the tree, bringing it inside is not the worst idea. People bring plants inside all the time to avoid freezing weather. I'd bring more delicate plants or those liable to blow away in before a hurricane.
Just blanket saying never bring plants in seems to lack some finess and doesn't cover all situations.

 

[Vin]

Was it summer they had issues with?
Because mine handled winter very well.

If it's likely to die outside anyways, nothing to lose by seeing if it can survive inside.

Summer... I tried dappled shade, full sun, less water, more water and even some massage therapy. It didn't matter. Now the Coast seems to do better in the summer for some reason. The winter (if we can call it that) beat it up pretty bad.

 

[Vin]

I lost a sundew, not a tree. It's horticultural care hadn't changed.

If being outside would kill or damage the tree, bringing it inside is not the worst idea. People bring plants inside all the time to avoid freezing weather. I'd bring more delicate plants or those liable to blow away in before a hurricane.
Just blanket saying never bring plants in seems to lack some finess and doesn't cover all situations.

For short periods of time due to weather issues there aren't any long term ill effects. He's not speaking of a day or two or three.

 

[LokiLB]

Summer... I tried dappled shade, full sun, less water, more water and even some massage therapy. It didn't matter. Now the Coast seems to do better in the summer for some reason. The winter (if we can call it that) beat it up pretty bad.

'Winter' here seems like exactly what a Sequoia would want. Cool, humid, and rainy.

 

[Dav4]

I lost a sundew, not a tree. It's horticultural care hadn't changed.

If being outside would kill or damage the tree, bringing it inside is not the worst idea. People bring plants inside all the time to avoid freezing weather. I'd bring more delicate plants or those liable to blow away in before a hurricane.
Just blanket saying never bring plants in seems to lack some finess and doesn't cover all situations.

Comparing the effects of cold related freeze damage to that of heat stress and saying it's the same isn't good enough, and fwiw, people shouldn't bring temperate trees inside their houses to protect them from the cold, but make modifications to how they're kept ie mulching the pots. Fussing too much over a tree increases the risk of death exponentially, and planning to move a tree in and out of a house as the temps fluctuate is a bad plan. Do as you will, but I still say it stands a better chance permanently outside. Also, listen to Vin, as he's been in your shoes and lives in a similar climate. Once you've done this long enough, you realize keeping trees that are marginal to your given climate becomes a drag on your time, money, and enthusiasm.

 

[LokiLB]

Comparing the effects of cold related freeze damage to that of heat stress and saying it's the same isn't good enough, and fwiw, people shouldn't bring temperate trees inside their houses to protect them from the cold, but make modifications to how they're kept ie mulching the pots. Fussing too much over a tree increases the risk of death exponentially, and planning to move a tree in and out of a house as the temps fluctuate is a bad plan. Do as you will, but I still say it stands a better chance permanently outside. Also, listen to Vin, as he's been in your shoes and lives in a similar climate. Once you've done this long enough, you realize keeping trees that are marginal to your given climate becomes a drag on your time, money, and enthusiasm.

Just saying your 'never' has exceptions.
It is not recommended to bring temperate trees indoors, but there are conceivable reasons to do so. Part of the point of this thread was to see if this was such a reason.

It was a $5 tree from a gift shop. It'll be a bit sad if it dies, but won't be a huge deal or loss of money.

 

[miker]

It may survive for a while (1-4 months?) inside, but without drastic measures, the tree will not survive long term. I suspect the main issue with Sequoia indoors would be lack of adequate light. If you could simulate full sun or nearly so inside (very difficult/costly), it might be fine indoors for the summer, then outdoors the rest of the year in warm temperate or subtropical climates.