My Battle to repot with a Giant Sequoia Nursery Stock

[BenBSeattle]

I Found this Sequoia Giganteum (Sequoiadendron giganteum ) at a local Nursery here in Washington State. The staff person told me it was brought in by a customer and needed a new pot desperately.
The battle that ensued to get it into a Bonsai Pot nearly broke me. =)

The lower bottom of the root ball was harder than Cement. The branches are pretty leggy but I hope that this tree back buds. Does Anyone have experience of this occurring?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I scrolled a bit through the video, did you check where the root base is before you started sawing?
Because from that patch of cement, it looks like you might have cut the trunk itself instead of a taproot.

Feeder roots in confined situations grow in all directions and can overgrow the original base. Just putting my concerns out there.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Nice job, or rather what a job! Repotting that beast.

I have no experience with sequoia, and whether or not they back bud. I suspect the branches will, I doubt much new will come from the trunk.

Metasequoia is the only redwood hardy in my area. They are fun, and backbud some, but not as easily as Bald Cypress. Of coarse other than being distant relatives, Metasequoia experience does not translate to Sequoiadendron experience.

I really enjoyed your fig fruit evaluation videos, they were fun. Eventually I will get a fig or two growing here.

 

[Maloghurst]

I actually saw some of your video the other day. I have a giant sequoia in my back yard and it throws buds from pruned branches so it should back bud.
I agree with cutting to much off the root base at the start. Sometimes it’s fine but I have cut roots just like that and wound up with no roots. Since that time I start at about the halfway or lower point and work my way up. You might also find more taper etc.
Also I make sure I have a reciprocating saw with a Fresh 12” pruning blade before I even start on a job like this.
Here’s an example of what can happen if you just cut 4” below soil line.
This is a zelkova that I worked the roots on a couple week ago.

 

[BenBSeattle]

I scrolled a bit through the video, did you check where the root base is before you started sawing?
Because from that patch of cement, it looks like you might have cut the trunk itself instead of a taproot.

Feeder roots in confined situations grow in all directions and can overgrow the original base. Just putting my concerns out there.

Yeah thats a possibility. Im hoping that if that is the case. It's like cutting off an airlayer. My Hope is that the leftover roots are enough to sustain the tree. fingers crossed.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Metasequoia is the only redwood hardy in my area.

For some reason I know that there's a big Giant Sequoia up at the Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary in Michigan. Is it that much harsher where you are?

Field Trip - Michigan's Largest Giant Sequoia

Yes, you read the title of this post correctly. It does say "Michigan's Largest Giant Sequoia". The Giant Sequoia ( Sequoiadendron gigan...

midmichigannatureandscience.blogspot.com

 

[Maloghurst]

This ones in my small ass backyard in Seattle as well. Although some branches have new sprouts on them pretty much everything stays at the ends of the branches and all inner branching dies back. Possibly because it’s shaded out. Someone on this forum has a thread with With one of these.

 

[Mikecheck123]

I think that's a distinctive feature of these. If you stand underneath, the inside is very naked. Here's one at a local park:

 

[CWTurner]

I would also plant that cut-off portion of the root ball. Maybe you can grow a multi-trunk from it?
Hope it greens up with the new soil, it doesn't look too healthy as is.
CW

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

For some reason I know that there's a big Giant Sequoia up at the Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary in Michigan. Is it that much harsher where you are?

Field Trip - Michigan's Largest Giant Sequoia

Yes, you read the title of this post correctly. It does say "Michigan's Largest Giant Sequoia". The Giant Sequoia ( Sequoiadendron gigan...

midmichigannatureandscience.blogspot.com

I checked a map, to see where this sequoia in Michigan is at. It is within a mile or so of Lake Michigan, north of Ludington, in an zone where Lake Effect is pretty pronounced. It is in the narrow strip where you can grow European vinifera grapes, Most winters are actually zone 7a, because of heat from the lake rather than the usual 6a or 5b that you encounter 10 miles east of the Lake. Most interesting is right along the lake the ground never freezes very deep. Inland frost depth is 4 to 6 feet, along the shore, 1 or 2 feet.

Sequoia are fog loving trees, in nature the big ones get as much as 1/3 their water through absorbing fog that settles at night. The narrow strip along the lake is very foggy for much of the year.

So yes, this Sequoiadendron is in a unique warm microclimate that is fairly unique to Michigan. Take a visit to the Leelanau Peninsula which is only a couple dozen miles north of the sequoia and you will see how different the climate is. Mild enough for French wine grapes. Go 50 miles east and you are in @M. Frary 's territory where winter can be downright frigid, Mike gets -25 F regularly, (-32 C). My farm is quite a bit south, but still in Michigan, and a good 12 miles east of Lake Michigan, we are zone 6a there. Marginal at best for sequoia.

My home is on the west side of Lake Michigan, zone 5a, and where I was thinking of when I said it is not hardy around here. I keep my Metasequoia in my backyard in Illinois, zone 5a. They survive with no special protection. What ever the cold is outside, that is what my Metasequoia experience.

 

[Mikecheck123]

I checked a map, to see where this sequoia in Michigan is at. It is within a mile or so of Lake Michigan, north of Ludington, in an zone where Lake Effect is pretty pronounced. It is in the narrow strip where you can grow European vinifera grapes, Most winters are actually zone 7a, because of heat from the lake rather than the usual 6a or 5b that you encounter 10 miles east of the Lake. Most interesting is right along the lake the ground never freezes very deep. Inland frost depth is 4 to 6 feet, along the shore, 1 or 2 feet.

Sequoia are fog loving trees, in nature the big ones get as much as 1/3 their water through absorbing fog that settles at night. The narrow strip along the lake is very foggy for much of the year.

So yes, this Sequoiadendron is in a unique warm microclimate that is fairly unique to Michigan. Take a visit to the Leelanau Peninsula which is only a couple dozen miles north of the sequoia and you will see how different the climate is. Mild enough for French wine grapes. Go 50 miles east and you are in @M. Frary 's territory where winter can be downright frigid, Mike gets -25 F regularly, (-32 C). My farm is quite a bit south, but still in Michigan, and a good 12 miles east of Lake Michigan, we are zone 6a there. Marginal at best for sequoia.

My home is on the west side of Lake Michigan, zone 5a, and where I was thinking of when I said it is not hardy around here. I keep my Metasequoia in my backyard in Illinois, zone 5a. They survive with no special protection. What ever the cold is outside, that is what my Metasequoia experience.

Very cool. I wonder if the guy who brought it back in a coffee can in 1949 knew all of that or if he was just insanely lucky.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Reading the verbiage on the Audobon Bird Sanctuary property that the sequoia is on, the property had been a home for a member of the family that owned Morton Salt Company. The branch of the family that lived in the west suburbs of Chicago donated the property that became the Morton Arboretum, in Lyle. The Lyle, Illinois property became an arboretum before the Michigan property became a bird sanctuary. The family was very much into trees, and preserving forests. It might have been because they felt guilty about the environmental damage from their own salt mines. It might have been just because it was the family "cause", some wealthy families build hospitals, some build other charities, the Morton family did Arboretums and Forest projects.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Reading the verbiage on the Audobon Bird Sanctuary property that the sequoia is on, the property had been a home for a member of the family that owned Morton Salt Company. The branch of the family that lived in the west suburbs of Chicago donated the property that became the Morton Arboretum, in Lyle. The Lyle, Illinois property became an arboretum before the Michigan property became a bird sanctuary. The family was very much into trees, and preserving forests. It might have been because they felt guilty about the environmental damage from their own salt mines. It might have been just because it was the family "cause", some wealthy families build hospitals, some build other charities, the Morton family did Arboretums and Forest projects.

It was a rhetorical question, but I am unsurprised that you found a likely answer.

 

[Cascading-Echinocactus]

I love saquioadendron giaganteum, I rarely see these in my climate, please post updates in the future, if you can.

 

[Arizona bonsai]

Did you use the glue to seal the cuts you made? I have used it for that.

 

[Cascading-Echinocactus]

Under the circumstances, I think you did the best you possibly could have. This tree would not have survived much longer, congested in solidified soil in the confines of that pot. And although it will probably take a while for it to recover (simply due to the species it is and how long it takes to adapt to changes and grow), eventually this will be a beautiful specimen, bonsai or no.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Holy cow that was a lot of the root mass that you removed! Thanks for making the video and posting here. I'm very interested to know how the tree progresses over time. Even now, ~one month later, is there anything worthwhile to report? As someone who just purchased a 3yr old giant sequoia of my own, I am interested to see how the tree responds to such a large amount of root removal. In my quest for understanding how to repot a well-trunked-tree that's on the cusp of initial bonsai transition, I have come across mixed feelings on the topic of root removal on this species. As far as I understand, progressive removal of the bottom ~10-20% of root ball is how best to size down into a smaller pot (I assume in this method, the new pot makes up for a relative lack of depth by offering a wider rooting zone?). Yet, I was under the impression that we must remove equal part canopy as we have removed from root ball to maintain a balance. You sir have strayed so far from what I thought was the "right" way to get this species in a smaller pot, I am curious to know how it goes over time. Please keep us updated every now and again! Take care.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Me again,
Two months later has the tree responded with new growth?

 

[Maw]

Please show us!

 

[Marren]

Hi Ben, i will be getting 2 giant Sequoias tomorrow. They’re about 10 yrs old 7’ tall. Would love to get some updates on your tree. I’ve had some redwoods but never a giant Sequoias.