Coast Redwood (Soquel)

[NHATIVE]

Hi All,

Starting a thread on this one that I recently purchased at a local nursery. I've been wanting a strong formal upright for a bit, and this caught my eye immediately at the nursery.

To start, it was very obviously root bound and has been in the same can for plenty of time. In fact, the trunk/nebari had grown right around the bamboo stake, that at one point when it was a sapling, was keeping it upright. See the pictures. After exposing the base, I think it'll actually end up making an interesting feature in the future, particularly with some light carving.

The buds had just barely started to move, so I felt comfortable taking it out of the can to put it in some new soil.

Upon removing it, There actually wasn't any soil left. It was a solid block of roots. It took some time to expose the base and remove roots that were circling the trunk, but once I did that, I took a hand saw and cut off about half of the root ball from the bottom. Not a single tap root encountered, and most of the roots down low were dead and rotted.

I put it in an anderson flat with a pumice/pine bark mix and watered it in heavy. Though it felt barbaric to saw the roots like that, I don't know what else could have been done...

Anyways I'm excited about this one and welcome any comments/suggestions. In particular it would be great to hear of others with root bound Coast Redwood and how you've dealt with them.

 

[NHATIVE]

Fall 2021 Update : Lots and lots and lots of growth. Ended up pruning a bit more to try and direct some energy.

I've spend quite a bit of time trying to visualize this tree's future. The apex area has me perplexed with a very thick branch/second trunk angled up and to the right, right at the top.

Also the bottom right branching "zone" has a large whorl on it that I'm not sure how to address. It's almost so large that it could be seen as a "feature"? Maybe grow out a branch to thicken and then make a jin? Carve? Develop a ramified branch there to cover it up?

Lastly, there's a large "blank" area right in the middle of the trunk on the right. I'm thinking if I run a heavy prune this winter that come spring it may get backbudding somewhere in there? My main concern there is that the pruning that I did this summer not only produced tons of growth at the tips, but where it did backbud on the trunk, it was at existing junctions and didn't form any new branching areas. Another thought was to prune off a green shoot and graft it into that area? Or of course, just leave it as is.



Thoughts and feedback welcome!

 

[NHATIVE]

Update :

Decided to take back the foliage tonight, clear things up, and make some initial design decisions. I really like what came out of it, particularly clearing up the top. Originally wasn't sure how I'd like the formal upright with the kick to the side at the top, but seeing it now feels pretty rad.

Also poked with a chopstick too check root health. Looking very solid...

Excited to see this one fill out this growing season.

 

[NHATIVE]

And finished the job today. Really happy with the end result. Decided the lower branches just needed to go as well...

 

[NHATIVE]

Little better photo with a real camera.

Thoughts/comments/critique encouraged.

 

[LittleDingus]

Little better photo with a real camera.

Thoughts/comments/critique encouraged.


View attachment 419480

With that much deformation, I would not be surprised to see it throw a ton of new shoots from the base. You will want to stay on top of rubbing them out if that's what it decides to do...or let one grow for a mother daughter?

 

[NHATIVE]

With that much deformation, I would not be surprised to see it throw a ton of new shoots from the base. You will want to stay on top of rubbing them out if that's what it decides to do...or let one grow for a mother daughter?

Mother daughter, or even a few to make a family, could make an interesting composition as well. That would be very true to their natural tendencies as well! I'm very much expecting this one to bud up all over the trunk after this cut-back, and will very likely end up using some of those new shoots.

 

[LittleDingus]

I'm very much expecting this one to bud up all over the trunk after this cut-back

I wouldn't be so sure. I did something similar to one of mine at about that age. It let the main trunk die and threw a dozen or so new suckers instead.



The chop in the middle was to remove the trunk that died off. If you look carefully, you can see where other new trunks were cut out as well. I cut back to just these two trunks but already you can see a bunch of new suckers getting ready for this coming season.

A hard defoliation is going to look like a fire burned canopy to the tree. No/low auxins from the growth tips coming down the trunk can signal the tree to go into rebirth mode. We'll see. I do hope it doesn't...I like clean base on this one. If you stay on top of rubbing out any suckers, maybe it will try higher up the trunk instead.

Do keep us updated! I'm curious how this one turns out

 

[NHATIVE]

I wouldn't be so sure. I did something similar to one of mine at about that age. It let the main trunk die and threw a dozen or so new suckers instead.

View attachment 419775

The chop in the middle was to remove the trunk that died off. If you look carefully, you can see where other new trunks were cut out as well. I cut back to just these two trunks but already you can see a bunch of new suckers getting ready for this coming season.

A hard defoliation is going to look like a fire burned canopy to the tree. No/low auxins from the growth tips coming down the trunk can signal the tree to go into rebirth mode. We'll see. I do hope it doesn't...I like clean base on this one. If you stay on top of rubbing out any suckers, maybe it will try higher up the trunk instead.

Do keep us updated! I'm curious how this one turns out

Great insight for sure... I'm going to cross my fingers on this one and will definitely keep the thread updated as it develops!

I'm also hoping I wasn't too late to the game on doing this work. I wanted to do this work much earlier in January, but we went through an abnormal cold snap in the beginning of the month and didn't want to stress the tree further. Ended up having to take a trip to Argentina right after that, which further delayed getting it done... That being said looking at the bud formation, I'm hoping I slid in just in time... Time will tell!

 

[LittleDingus]

I'm also hoping I wasn't too late to the game on doing this work. I wanted to do this work much earlier in January, but we went through an abnormal cold snap in the beginning of the month and didn't want to stress the tree further. Ended up having to take a trip to Argentina right after that, which further delayed getting it done... That being said looking at the bud formation, I'm hoping I slid in just in time... Time will tell!

I think you want to do this type of hard cutback during the growing season and not in dormancy. My work with coastals is limited though so please "do your own research"

Redwoods are elongation species. This link might help.

Elongating Species

Taking advantage of spring pushFirst off, let’s dispel some questions by simply defining the term - Elongating Species are species that produce one elongating piece of growth in a season.

bonsaimirai.com

My personal experience in my grow zone is that they are maybe not "strictly" an elongation species the way some others are. The vigorous growth tends to be from last season's bud set. But I do get new buds and growth during the season...especially if pruned.

I expect that major pruning during the growth season will allow next season's buds to set back below the prune points. Generally you can see them while the tree is in dormancy and maybe make decisions on a winter "fine prune" to direct growth/energy more favorably for next season. Otherwise, the bud set tends to be near the ends of branches and pruning them during dormancy would, I expect, trigger the tree to panic and sucker more.

Again, my sample size thus far is small so don't trust the advice on anything you care about I'm at the stage where most of my trees are medium/light pruned mid/late growing season to force new buds further back and so that I can fit them back into their winter home in the garage!

They are some of my favorite trees. Seeing a true albino in nature is pretty incredible!

 

[NHATIVE]

Update : Lots of growth, lots of pinching, lots of auxin. May end up leaving one of the upward growing branches off the burl as a daughter trunk. Will wait and see...

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Good job. Just a question & comments

I’m always interested when first designing a tree on developing the nebari. Do you plan to work on this in the future?

Secondly, I’ve seen a lot of redwoods, especially coastal redwoods, yet none with a top like that yet. Not saying it has never happened though. Usually the apex is hit by lightening or snap off in the wind, and/or burn back etc. What is often left is sorta a flattish bush crown.

Just some thoughts

cheers
DSD sends

 

[NHATIVE]

Good job. Just a question & comments

I’m always interested when first designing a tree on developing the nebari. Do you plan to work on this in the future?

Secondly, I’ve seen a lot of redwoods, especially coastal redwoods, yet none with a top like that yet. Not saying it has never happened though. Usually the apex is hit by lightening or snap off in the wind, and/or burn back etc. What is often left is sorta a flattish bush crown.

Just some thoughts

cheers
DSD sends

Thanks for the comments!

On the nebari, the flare continues straight into fine feeder roots. Additionally, there's a"hole" or "separation" on the front where the tree grew around a bamboo stake that was in there originally. I'm considering a small bit of carving on that front to add interest, but we'll see. I'd like to do at least one more repot to learn more.

In regards to the top, are you referring to the new shoots sticking straight up at the very apex, or the entire configuration? The straight up shoots are new this year and will likely not stay, but keeping them just a bit longer to explore.

I'm also thinking about getting rid of the entire top from where it makes its first turn and stimulating the whole thing breaking off... Maybe with multiple apices as well.

Option 1 : Current progression (photoshopped a couple things off, but more or less where it's headed today)



Option 2 : A more natural Redwood growth habit and design


Option 3 : Another natural Redwood growth habit with multiple apices


Comments and opinions welcomed and encouraged!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Your tree, your choice mate.

If it was actually my tree, I’d pull it right out of the pot and repot the tree in a big nursery pot, in a premium grower media and bark mix. Then let the tree run tall and totally free for a couple years. This would serve to bulk the tree out more, giving you time to ponder the design.…. Along the way getting a die grinder and some burr bits.

I’ve four redwoods, all in big nursery pots, all are doing exactly the same thing right now. Bulking out..

Just my thoughts…. whatever you do though, please keep following up the tree’s progress on this tread?

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Kadebe]

I’ve four redwoods, all in big nursery pots, all are doing exactly the same thing right now. Bulking out..

Do you have a picture of your redwood?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Sure thing, as an example of

Four redwoods on rainy Independence Day morning… all potted up growing out. Base is buried on each. All were cut back this spring. Each in their fourth year since being obtained as a 18-24” seedling from a nursery in Oregon. All we’re up potted last November.

Standard Coastal Redwood In a #7 squat pot



Santa Cruz Coast Redwood - the most heat tolerant redwood of the bunch, from Saratoga Horticulture Research Foundation, #7 squat pot



These first two slowed their vertical growth last year and threw on a profusion of branches.

Simpson Silver Coastal Redwood - another Saratoga Horticultural Research Foundation cultivar #6 pot. So far this has been a bit of disappointment as it’s reputed to trunk up really fast... 100’ h to 40’ wide… Might need more misting as it likes the fog.



Dawn Redwood #6 pot



I suppose all but the Simpson Silver could be put into bonsai pots, yet I’m gonna let these run for at least another year. This spring I’ll do a nebari check and determine if any need ground layering.

…..and that’s all folks!

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Colorado]

Thanks for the comments!

On the nebari, the flare continues straight into fine feeder roots. Additionally, there's a"hole" or "separation" on the front where the tree grew around a bamboo stake that was in there originally. I'm considering a small bit of carving on that front to add interest, but we'll see. I'd like to do at least one more repot to learn more.

In regards to the top, are you referring to the new shoots sticking straight up at the very apex, or the entire configuration? The straight up shoots are new this year and will likely not stay, but keeping them just a bit longer to explore.

I'm also thinking about getting rid of the entire top from where it makes its first turn and stimulating the whole thing breaking off... Maybe with multiple apices as well.

Option 1 : Current progression (photoshopped a couple things off, but more or less where it's headed today)

View attachment 445165

Option 2 : A more natural Redwood growth habit and design
View attachment 445166

Option 3 : Another natural Redwood growth habit with multiple apices
View attachment 445167

Comments and opinions welcomed and encouraged!

I like the multiple apex design!

The current design is nice too, although perhaps it may feel a little bit more congruent with less movement in the apex given the bottom 2/3 of the tree.

 

[NHATIVE]

Looking at the multiple apex design, this famous example offers some great inspiration...

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Isn’t this of Sequoiadendron giganteum vs Sequoia Sempervirens?

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[cbrshadow23]

Thanks for the comments!

On the nebari, the flare continues straight into fine feeder roots. Additionally, there's a"hole" or "separation" on the front where the tree grew around a bamboo stake that was in there originally. I'm considering a small bit of carving on that front to add interest, but we'll see. I'd like to do at least one more repot to learn more.

In regards to the top, are you referring to the new shoots sticking straight up at the very apex, or the entire configuration? The straight up shoots are new this year and will likely not stay, but keeping them just a bit longer to explore.

I'm also thinking about getting rid of the entire top from where it makes its first turn and stimulating the whole thing breaking off... Maybe with multiple apices as well.

Option 1 : Current progression (photoshopped a couple things off, but more or less where it's headed today)

View attachment 445165

Option 2 : A more natural Redwood growth habit and design
View attachment 445166

Option 3 : Another natural Redwood growth habit with multiple apices
View attachment 445167

Comments and opinions welcomed and encouraged!

Nice tree! I really like Option 3. I agree that the current top angle doesn't look very natural, so chopping that off is what I'd do if it were my tree.