Tennessee Giant Sequoia - I am probably crazy...

rmichaelb

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New to Bonsai Nut but not really new to bonsai (7-10 years-ish). I am in love with the Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) and I am determined to grow one here in Middle Tennessee.

I have tried with 3 small specimens (less than 16" tall) before. I admit I was half-hazard and the results reflect that. I didn't protect them properly over winter, took a vacation and they dried out, etc... Nevertheless, I am determined to succeed.
Also, I didn't have ANY resources on the care of them, it hard to find. Which is why I was so excited to stumble across this site. There seems to have been a decent number of people attempting this and documenting here, which I am super grateful. That said I figured I would do the same and hopefully get some realtime advice as well. It takes a village sometime right?

The Tree:
I went bigger and bought a tree from Joe Welker
(Side note: not the greatest first impression of the man but, he does have great trees. And I see not everyone has had an awful experience with him so, maybe a bad day!)
I included a dimensions picture of the tree. Also:

- received in February 2020' (still 'winter' here) in a 6"x6" pot.
- It had a massive 1"-1.5" root that had been growing out a drainage hole, obviously they chopped it off.
- Pulled from the pot and it was completely "root bound" and absolutely impenetrable. It was like concrete.
- The foliage looked about like the dimensions photo (its only been a few weeks.)

What I have done:
Decided to repot, figure this year's growth would need the space. I didn't want to go crazy on the tree since I just received it, wanted to give it at least a season to acclimate to TN. I tried using my chopstick to lightly rough up the edges of the root ball, and saw really quickly it would take surgery to break anything up; I decided against it. I slip-potted it into a 9" wide x 8" round pot and used some of Welkers Sequoia Soil (trying to keep as many things normal as possible) & perlite. Wait and see.

So far its happy, there is some new growth starting to appear. Nothing on the trunk only the ends and some on the branches. And no real browning, yet!

Up Next / Questions / Honestly not sure:
- I don't mind a really tall "bonsai", like 36-48 inches. I actually like the large, slightly oversized potted trees.
- Not sure what to do about the zero foliage on the lower trunk, There is 14 inches of bare trunk. I have seen a post here where someone basically cut every branch back almost to the trunk lol... and it worked. But not going to lie, I'm terrified to do that.
- Should I wire down the lower branches and then shape up from there.
- Cut back branch and hope for new growth to sprout out.
- Should I just let it get super tall and then cut the top out and wire a new leader..... ugh decisions
- Looks like there was some new tiny new growth last season on the trunk but it all browned off.
- Not super happy about an 8" tall root ball. But I had rather have a living 8" root ball than a dead tree.
- So should I go ahead and put in a super-wide training pot and later shave off the bottom.

This is what I'm asking now, and fighting the urge to tinker with it this season. Feel free to post thoughts and experiences.
I have found and studied several threads here on the GS, so here is to hoping I found some people who love this species as much as I do!

P.S. I don't like failing (bonsai is the wrong hobby to be in, I know!) but it's my 4th tree, I want to see some personal progress here!!!!
 

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BrianBay9

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Your first goal should be keeping these alive so far from their native habitat. If they're still growing in a year or two, then worry about starting styling.
 

Adair M

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These things live where there’s a lot of fog. They like to be kept moist.

if I were you, I’d invest in one of those misting thingys they sell as outdoor cooling devices. That puts out a constant mist. Maybe you could put it on a timer or something.

I’ve heard that they absorb as much as 50% of the water they need via the foliage, so the misting is essential.
 

BrianBay9

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Keep in mind giant sequoia and coastal redwood are related, but live in very different climates. Giant sequoia live in hot, dry summers with a fire adapted ecology, and snowy winters, from 4,000 to 7000 ft elevation. Coastal redwood are in the fog belt at low elevations. In Tennessee you might have the most problem with "dry summers".
 

Mikecheck123

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Leo in N E Illinois

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@rmichaelb
That post by Mikecheck123 is from BenBseattle, and covers a good deal of what you need to know about sequoia. The goal of a 3 to 4 foot tall tree is good, they are easier to handle in the larger size range. If you plan on a 4 foot tall tree, the first branch being at 14 inches is not a problem. This may be a better plan than trying to get buds to sprout lower on the trunk.

There is a visual guide, not a rule, but a general guide. Visually plan your tree out in thirds. The first third is the trunk (here 14 inches) the second third is there the primary branching occurs, the final third is the fine tertiary branching. Now sequoia does not have a "standard deciduous tree" shape to it naturally, so this visual guide should not be applied directly, but using it loosely, if the distance from ground to first branch is 14 inches, then the tree will probably need to be around 42 inches tall to "look right".

If I were you, I would just keep it alive for this year. Repot in early spring, right after your average last frost date. You could repot this year, but I would be tempted to let it grow a year before doing the repot. This year I would just get it out in the sun, keep it watered and let it grow. During this time gather information and make a plan. Look closely at the natural branch structure of old sequoia. Those "swooping" branches will need to eventually wired out into a more mature shape.

If you do decide to repot this year. Don't do any significant pruning of foliage. This species seems to be of the "one insult per year" type. Wiring is the least stressful thing you can do. But pruning and repotting are significant stressors. The year you do one, you should not do the other.
 

rmichaelb

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Weird--it's the second time in five days someone has described Giant Sequoia roots being like concrete (or cement).

Previous post: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/my-battle-to-repot-with-a-giant-sequoia-nursery-stock.42872/


Holy crap, I had not seen his post or the video. My root ball wasn't that big but I am curious to see how his tree responds with so much being removed. The roots on mine looked nice and white top to bottom; they just wouldn't budge. I wish I had taken a photo to post. Either way, I'll wait till next year at least.
 

rmichaelb

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And thanks all for the comments & suggestions, keeping it alive sounds like my only objective at this point, despite me going stir crazy bc of Covid.

And @Bonsai Nut I did do some research, so I knew it was technically possible for Tennessee just maybe not easy. But I didn't see those photos, thanks for the find!
 

linina

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Hi, I can only pitch in a small experience from my tiny Sequoias here: I had done root prune for mine this early spring because they were root bounded and they live happily (hopefully ever after). I only cut short the root balls and trim lightly, so to leave some white feeders on. As of now, probably been 2 months since, they both are growing new shoots vigorously. I attached a few pics I just took now. The brown branches are ones that didn’t do well before root prune, which made me decided to work on the roots. The new green growth are a few weeks old now and keep growing :). I bought them at 3-4 years old so perhaps they’re now 5-6 years.
 

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