Ailing coast redwood

[PowerTap]

I've had this coast redwood that has been growing vigorously in a deep pot for the last three years from a sappling. This spring I moved it into an Anderson flat style pot to start moving into the direction of eventual bonsai pots. When I did it went from a very organic mix with lava rock in it to being filled in with APL. I also cut back a lot of roots to get it into a shallower pot. It was maybe a 50% root reduction.

I got a good spring flush out of it. But now it's starting to have red brown needles. It gets full sun and is sitting on my deck. I water twice daily.

Some parts are more affected than others. I would say the farther from the roots the more brown it's getting.

I'm unsure what's up with it and my best remedy. I'm considering:

• lifting it up off the deck, which gets quite warm in the sun. I don't think I have space for it on my main bench.
• More shade
• Cutting it back because I didn't really trim it during repotting.
• I don't think I'm over or under watering but

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Don’t these really enjoy ambient humidity? Has it been especially dry where you are? Could also be sulking from going from a heavy organic soil to inorganic.

 

[Ruddigger]

I keep mine in 50% shadecloth year round, and 100% akadama. I would move to the shade, and maybe up the akadama in your mix next year so it holds more water.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

I keep mine in 50% shadecloth year round, and 100% akadama. I would move to the shade, and maybe up the akadama in your mix next year so it holds more water.

Yep, Coast Redwoods really don’t prefer full sun in the Seattle area for sure. We routinely do 50-60% root reductions with all redwoods.

But last year we transitioned all into a top half bare root - replace with bonsai media and about mid July they started to look like dying cockroaches. So put in morning sun afternoon shade on the ground and watered deeply twice a day. They went through the year with no further damage.

This year all is well in part sun. But I dug the pots partly into the ground jic.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[PowerTap]

Thanks all, I've rearranged some things to that the tree will be shaded by the rest of the bench rather than full blast all day.

 

[RaginCajun]

I’ve got one on the way from Mendocino coast bonsai in Northern California. He said the more shade you can give them the better. And humidity! They dry up quick.
I plan to keep mine in the same shade house as my maples and dawn redwoods. And I’m going to have it suspended slightly above a water trough for humidity.. of course there’s no shortage of humidity here at all in Louisiana but the sun is HOT.
How is yours doing now?

 

[PowerTap]

I’ve got one on the way from Mendocino coast bonsai in Northern California. He said the more shade you can give them the better. And humidity! They dry up quick.
I plan to keep mine in the same shade house as my maples and dawn redwoods. And I’m going to have it suspended slightly above a water trough for humidity.. of course there’s no shortage of humidity here at all in Louisiana but the sun is HOT.
How is yours doing now?

It stopped browning and seems much happier now. Lesson learned for next year. I'm in WA so north of their traditional range, but I'm near the Puget Sound.

 

[pandacular]

One of the amazing things about coast redwoods is they only grow in microclimates in the ground. That term is tossed around in gardening, but the microclimates of these trees is highly specific, and they have a number of interesting adaptations because of it (like transporting water in reverse!). I think trying to emulate their ecosystem would be key part of success as bonsai

Looking forward to seeing yours recover strongly.