Dawn Redwood development

[TacomaBonsai95]

Thought I would start a thread for a single dawn redwood I got through Amazon over the winter. I'm curious when I should begin to prune this tree. I figure I should probably prune the top some point soon to encourage bushier growth. I'm ordering some dawn redwood seeds to start some group plantings as well. I'll post that here in the future

 

[jonfromchicago]

What do you imagine this Dawn Redwood to look like? If you imagine it to be bigger with a larger trunk, you don't need to prune it till you get the desired trunk size, just let it grow and then cut back.

 

[ChefB]

Just let that baby grow until the trunk is thick as you’d like it. Then chop it to around 1/3 of It’s finished height. Gonna be a while. Try to preserve some lower branches to have something to build from. They like water. I’m keeping mine with a drip tray underneath to keep the soil moist.

 

[TacomaBonsai95]

Okay, letting it grow out is the plan then. Maybe I should give it a bigger pot?

 

[ChefB]

Looks like that pot is a decent size for now. Maybe even a little large. It’s hard to tell in the picture. Probably better to just leave it for now. If you want to get a look at the roots and get them organized, wait till spring when the threat of frost has passed.

 

[Shibui]

That pot should be plenty big enough for this year. Just make sure you keep up the water and fertilizer. Dawn redwood are nearly as thirsty as Bald cypress and do not like to get dry.
Dawn redwood responds very well to trunk chop so it doesn't seem to matter how thick or how tall you grow it. They always seem to respond with lots of new shoots after pruning.
I don't let mine get too thick before the first chop because it takes too long for the new leader to match the stump and to heal the huge cut. I prefer a series of grow and chop cycles to get both trunk thickness and taper in the trunks.

 

[RKatzin]

And don't worry about seeds for more trees for a forest. Dawns will strike roots on a cutting very well. You will have a lot more little branches than you'll want, profuse back budding on these, so just thin some of those out and stick them in some fine medium. I use the fines from my pumice sifting. Might be late this year, depends on your local, you could start some now. I usually take cuttings in early spring when I see some green starting to show.
Starting now the cuttings may not be winter hardy and you may lose some over winter and you can start more come spring.
My signal is weak and won't let me show a pic, but when I can I'll show you a small forest I put together this spring from cuttings I took last spring. Grow on!

 

[ChefB]

@Shibui At what thickness would you typically make the first chop? And how much thickening can one expect in the base after the initial chop? if I am aiming for 3 inch trunk would chopping, at 2 inch girth still thicken to my goal after subsequent growth and chops?

 

[karen82]

@Shibui At what thickness would you typically make the first chop? And how much thickening can one expect in the base after the initial chop? if I am aiming for 3 inch trunk would chopping, at 2 inch girth still thicken to my goal after subsequent growth and chops?

If you chop it and then let it grow freely again to heal the chop, it will continue to thicken, but you might lose some taper from the chop if you let it go for too long.
I don't have much experience with them, but I have a dawn redwood I'm developing in ground. I was advised to chop it somewhat higher and then keep it pruned into more of a cone shape (keeping the upper branches cut short) and let it develop taper that way. Mine was about 5 feet tall and I chopped it down to about 18".

 

[Shibui]

Dawn redwood naturally develop buttress base which is great but the trunk is typically straight with little taper. For bonsai we expect more taper that that so need to intervene more.
I have not had as extensive experience with Dawn redwood as with tridents but similar treatment seems to work OK. Whether it is 'best' I am not sure. So much will depend on what size, taper and shape you will eb satisfied with.
I would certainly be making first chop well before the trunk reaches half required thickness and making that chop around 1/3 anticipated height or lower. Every chop adds taper. Unfortunately every chop also adds a kink in the trunk as a new shoot emerges and heads up from one side. Sometimes I've had to make subsequent chops below the precious one if the new shoot turned out at a bad angle or 2 strong shoots created reverse taper.

 

[ChefB]

reverse taper.

This. Definite bulging at the chop site.

I’ve been trying bend and grow. Maybe try this @TacomaBonsai95. There is a kink low down on your trunk that looks like it has a nice size shoot at the same location use a wire into the soil and around the base and bend your trunk away from the base just below the node to the side shoot, your side shoot is pointing straight at the sky. Your base is vertical, but the rest of the trunk is leaning away, and your side shoot is now your new leader. Now just grow that puppy out! Example:from the front:My thinking is now if it bulges at the chop site, it’s not in your trunk line. Please excuse my wire scars.

 

[ChefB]

Sorry, I’m still learning how to put pictures in the right places on my posts.

 

[RKatzin]

Okay, here is a pic of cuttings I took last spring and put together this spring. That's mama holding the background.

 

[TacomaBonsai95]

This. Definite bulging at the chop site.View attachment 495759

I’ve been trying bend and grow. Maybe try this @TacomaBonsai95. There is a kink low down on your trunk that looks like it has a nice size shoot at the same location View attachment 495760use a wire into the soil and around the base and bend your trunk away from the base just below the node to the side shoot, your side shoot is pointing straight at the sky. Your base is vertical, but the rest of the trunk is leaning away, and your side shoot is now your new leader. Now just grow that puppy out! Example:from the front:View attachment 495757My thinking is now if it bulges at the chop site, it’s not in your trunk line. Please excuse my wire scars.

I'm gonna try the technique you described, I think that will be a good way to keep the trunk taper more uniform.

 

[TacomaBonsai95]

Okay, here is a pic of cuttings I took last spring and put together this spring. That's mama holding the background.

Hopefully I'll be making cuttings next year and doing some group plantings. Is it pretty easy to root Dawn redwood cuttings?

 

[RKatzin]

Hopefully I'll be making cuttings next year and doing some group plantings. Is it pretty easy to root Dawn redwood cuttings?

Yes, they have will root very easily. I use the fines from my sifted pumice, but any seed starter mix will work.

 

[YaBoyMyth]

That pot should be plenty big enough for this year. Just make sure you keep up the water and fertilizer. Dawn redwood are nearly as thirsty as Bald cypress and do not like to get dry.
Dawn redwood responds very well to trunk chop so it doesn't seem to matter how thick or how tall you grow it. They always seem to respond with lots of new shoots after pruning.
I don't let mine get too thick before the first chop because it takes too long for the new leader to match the stump and to heal the huge cut. I prefer a series of grow and chop cycles to get both trunk thickness and taper in the trunks.

can you explain this a little more? when do you start chopping

 

[Shibui]

can you explain this a little more? when do you start chopping

Start chop and regrow when you feel like it.
I prefer to start when the trunk is still quite small - say 2-3 years old - and continue every year or 2 depending on growth. That means smaller cuts that heal well. It does slow thickening a little but the final apex development is quicker because you won't have a huge cut to heal.

Others prefer to let the trunk grow until close to desired thickness then make one large reduction chop. You get to desired thickness quicker but then more years to heal the larger cut and grow the new trunk extension to match the thicker base.

Just different ways to get to a similar outcome.