Giant Sequoia Cultivation

[Muse]

I've never seen them in person. I need to fix that.

I have but it's been 40+ years, maybe 50 or more since I've seen the BIG BOYS (Sequoias) in person. I went to Muir Woods around 4 years ago, but AFAIK no Sequoias there.

 

[mikeford]

Since its like a giant forest, hot might not be your first guess for climate, but during the summer, its hot in that area. Top down in a convertible is the best way to see them, fall or spring best times of the year. If driving up from the south, don't forget to stop at the Harris ranch for a steak.

 

[IronWing]

I've never seen them in person. I need to fix that.

They grow in big circular groups, presumably around a mother tree that is now long gone, really cool.

 

[mikeford]

BTW if anybody is worried, they are HIGHLY resistant to fire.

 

[jack46606]

Watching your Redwood grow could be a long term hobby.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Indeed! It's how I hope to spend my retirement.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

So, after losing the rest of my seedlings, I enlisted help from my mother-in-law who's an avid gardener and a biologist. She suggested putting little clear cups upside-down over the top of them with holes cut in for air circulation, under the pretext that it might increase the moisture content of the air around them (difficult indoors with a/c or heat sources) as well as protect against fungus on moist soil. She also suggested that I water them less, and decrease the light they're getting, given that their natural state as seedlings tends to be less than 100% sun exposure. This has resulted in some pretty great success. This dude sprouted and was potted on 17OCT, so a smidge over a month ago, and is about 2" tall now:

Also looks much closer to what a Sequoia seedling should look like, rather than the extravagant display I was getting from earlier seedlings. I suspect those might have still survived had I been using this method, but I prefer a more 'natural' state.
In addition, I haven't lost a single one I've planted since mid OCT, so now I have a lot...

I've had to order a new grow light, and I'll have to figure out a more long-term solution before too long, like what to do with 30 Sequoias that don't fit in pots anymore in the middle of winter.

 

[mikeford]

Treat them like puppies and use craigslist and Nextdoor to find good homes for them. There must be other plantish people around your area that would be both knowledgeable enough to give them a chance, and interested.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Further updates... so that one up there from 17OCT?


My GF gave me a great solution involving wire (closer to hangar thickness) and gallon Ziploc bags to facilitate covering the ones too large for my cups. Currently at 23 in varying stages of growth, lost a few more than I'd like recently so going to work harder to control how much moisture they're getting. It's been very hard maintaining them through the winter, with heat/cold cycling the air. Drys them out a lot.

Anyone have any tips on outdoor acclimation? Should I just put them out there for an hour at a time, increase it by an hour each day until full time?

 

[lxskllr]

I'm just guessing here(maybe @bbhaag could give better tips), but I'd start with something like a garage. Not full climate control, but not out in the weather either. Do that for a week or two, then move them to something like a covered porch. After a couple weeks of that, move them to an exposed location, particularly allowing them to be moved and bent by the wind to get them toughened up. That's my notion anyway. I could very well be wrong.

 

[sdifox]

I'm just guessing here(maybe @bbhaag could give better tips), but I'd start with something like a garage. Not full climate control, but not out in the weather either. Do that for a week or two, then move them to something like a covered porch. After a couple weeks of that, move them to an exposed location, particularly allowing them to be moved and bent by the wind to get them toughened up. That's my notion anyway. I could very well be wrong.

Wasn't there someone here that owns a nursery business?

 

[BoomerD]

Wasn't there someone here that owns a nursery business?

yes...bbhaag.

 

[sdifox]

yes...bbhaag.

I guess I am the senile one.

 

[bbhaag]

Heh...while I appreciate the mention I can honestly say my knowledge of trees is very little especially when it comes to the cultivation of Sequoias. Don't get me wrong I've been following this thread from the beginning and have mad respect for [DHT]Osiris abilities but my focus is on annuals, perennials, and shrubs. I own a greenhouse not a tree farm those are two completely different things.

Anyway, I can just give some general advice that I give my customers from my own experiences over the years. For outdoor acclimation you want the temps to be above 40-45*F during the day. If the temps drop below 40-45 at night bring them inside otherwise you can leave them out overnight. Set them outside in a morning sun location make sure they don't get the afternoon sun. The reason is the afternoon sun is to intense and those cute little trees will get sunburn. Yes plants can get sunburn.

Wind burn is another issue to watch out for. If the winds in your area get above 15-20 mph bring them inside. High winds will dry them out and strip those needles off in no time.
Also, if you have curios critters in your area be mindful that they might come to investigate especially if you leave them out over night. Cats, chipmunks, skunks, racoons ect. can destroy months of hard work in less than 15 minutes.

Keep an eye on the watering. Being outside will dry them out faster than indoors. Transpiration due to wind and sunlight will be dramatically different than indoors and their roots will uptake water more frequently. Last but not least DON"T be surprised if they go through a little shock. This can be anything from sun wilt even though the soil is moist, browning/spotting of some needles, and a host of other things. Remember you are taking them from this carefully controlled environment were you have been babying them and putting them in the real world. Some stress is going to happen just don't freak out and do something rash. You WANT to toughen them up so when the weather in your area finally breaks they are ready to be transplanted.

 

[mikeford]

Spread out the risk, put more minds to work on solving the issue.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Heh...while I appreciate the mention I can honestly say my knowledge of trees is very little especially when it comes to the cultivation of Sequoias. Don't get me wrong I've been following this thread from the beginning and have mad respect for [DHT]Osiris abilities but my focus is on annuals, perennials, and shrubs. I own a greenhouse not a tree farm those are two completely different things.

Anyway, I can just give some general advice that I give my customers from my own experiences over the years. For outdoor acclimation you want the temps to be above 40-45*F during the day. If the temps drop below 40-45 at night bring them inside otherwise you can leave them out overnight. Set them outside in a morning sun location make sure they don't get the afternoon sun. The reason is the afternoon sun is to intense and those cute little trees will get sunburn. Yes plants can get sunburn.

Wind burn is another issue to watch out for. If the winds in your area get above 15-20 mph bring them inside. High winds will dry them out and strip those needles off in no time.
Also, if you have curios critters in your area be mindful that they might come to investigate especially if you leave them out over night. Cats, chipmunks, skunks, racoons ect. can destroy months of hard work in less than 15 minutes.

Keep an eye on the watering. Being outside will dry them out faster than indoors. Transpiration due to wind and sunlight will be dramatically different than indoors and their roots will uptake water more frequently. Last but not least DON"T be surprised if they go through a little shock. This can be anything from sun wilt even though the soil is moist, browning/spotting of some needles, and a host of other things. Remember you are taking them from this carefully controlled environment were you have been babying them and putting them in the real world. Some stress is going to happen just don't freak out and do something rash. You WANT to toughen them up so when the weather in your area finally breaks they are ready to be transplanted.

That sounds in line with what I've been reading as well, I'm curious about them drying out more outdoors though, given the fighting I went through to keep these things moist enough indoors. Esp in the winter, it's been a hard slog until I figure out the plastic cap trick. I'll take a few out at a time so as not to shock them too bad, and I've got a few places I can provide dappled sun for a few hours at given points of the day. Still gotta wait for the weather to turn upwards some though, we're getting snow right now. I appreciate the info!

 

[mikeford]

IIRC this type of tree wants water from a misting system, not just the ground.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

IIRC this type of tree wants water from a misting system, not just the ground.

You definitely have to keep the seedlings in moist air, hence the plastic up lids which they seem to be happy with. Outdoors they should be much more reasonable, I'm in the finger lakes region so we've got pretty moist air most of the time.

 

[IronWing]

More inspiration for you:

This sequoia was planted in the 1930s by the CCC on a mountain top in Arizona, more than five hundred miles from its home range. It is ~3 feet DBH.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

So turns out hardening off was work effort I didn't need to make. Took a dozen of them, did the whole 'N+1 hours' for a few days, kept them out at 5h for a week or so, then on a whim decided to test with another that was smaller, just in case it croaked... turns out I could have left all of them out at once.

25 trees, all healthy and happy in the sun... Elevated on a deck to get them away from curious groundhogs.

Took the largest, dropped him in a nice, gradual sloping area of the front yard, flipped the dirt around him, threw some fabric over the top, added a little tree bark to give him a chance to outgrow the surrounding grass.

And finally a moderate structure to give a (hopefully not) vain attempt at keeping deer off it until they can't eat it entirely. Bricks are there until I can find my stupid ground staples which seem to have misplaced themselves. I figure if he can make it to next winter, he should be a foot or two tall at that point and out of the woods (hah) for being consumed by wildlife. Beyond that, it's just not dying to -30 winds until he's got thick enough bark that it won't matter.

One down, 24 more to go.

 

[BoomerD]

More inspiration for you:
View attachment 41502


This sequoia was planted in the 1930s by the CCC on a mountain top in Arizona, more than five hundred miles from its home range. It is ~3 feet DBH.

pish posh...

 

[bbhaag]

So turns out hardening off was work effort I didn't need to make. Took a dozen of them, did the whole 'N+1 hours' for a few days, kept them out at 5h for a week or so, then on a whim decided to test with another that was smaller, just in case it croaked... turns out I could have left all of them out at once.
View attachment 43119
25 trees, all healthy and happy in the sun... Elevated on a deck to get them away from curious groundhogs.
View attachment 43120
Took the largest, dropped him in a nice, gradual sloping area of the front yard, flipped the dirt around him, threw some fabric over the top, added a little tree bark to give him a chance to outgrow the surrounding grass.
View attachment 43122
And finally a moderate structure to give a (hopefully not) vain attempt at keeping deer off it until they can't eat it entirely. Bricks are there until I can find my stupid ground staples which seem to have misplaced themselves. I figure if he can make it to next winter, he should be a foot or two tall at that point and out of the woods (hah) for being consumed by wildlife. Beyond that, it's just not dying to -30 winds until he's got thick enough bark that it won't matter.

One down, 24 more to go.

Haha bro that is awesome. I love that last pic. It's awesome because it is so over the top but at the same time it shows the passion, hard work, and love that you have poured into these trees. Good job man I love following this thread and seeing the progress you have made. It's really cool.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Haha bro that is awesome. I love that last pic. It's awesome because it is so over the top but at the same time it shows the passion, hard work, and love that you have poured into these trees. Good job man I love following this thread and seeing the progress you have made. It's really cool.

Thanks and yeah I'm pretty desperate to keep these things from being eaten. It's the best I can do to keep the wildlife out, short of setting up a tent and a campfire out there for the next year or two.

 

[MrSquished]

Thanks and yeah I'm pretty desperate to keep these things from being eaten. It's the best I can do to keep the wildlife out, short of setting up a tent and a campfire out there for the next year or two.

Build cheez a shed with wraparound window views of your yard, and give him a pellet gun with the sole job of protecting your saplings, in the name of Jesus

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

March check-in.

We had several exceedingly cold days this winter, as harsh as I've seen it since we've been here. -30's, 40+mph winds, with virtually zero snow cover. Trees were completely exposed, and it looks like every single one survived with the exception of one which I was confident was dead before winter started... no idea why he didn't take. Based on this, I'm pretty confident we aren't going to see a winter that kills them off very often.

All are around the same height, about a foot tall, with a pretty clear color delineation between a more brown lower branches and ruddier upper branches. Some of the tiny lowest branches are shedding, and on the ones that still have them have withered and started to fall off, which is expected. All stems I prodded seem pliable and healthy, aside from bits that got nibbled on by deer from above. Main trunks are developing a nice bark layer, and feel very firm. I removed the tenting from two of the trees prior to winter kicking off, because I needed to test how the deer around here would react. Predictably, they did a hell of a job on them, but both are actually still alive and have new growth, amazingly. I'm going to leave them put just to see what happens. I still have a few dozen inside if they don't, and plenty more yard to plant more in.




Partly out of focus due to phone camera, but there's a little bit of fresh growth on the upper parts of the stem, and a few lower branches still kicking.


Bonus pic of the very odd looking deer that roamed into our yard. Safely returned home.