overwintering coastal redwoods

[GO-OK]

Anyone in the midwest have advice on overwintering coastal redwoods. I'm in Northern Illinois and picked up one this spring. Its taken a light frost, and is fairing well except the new growth tips.

Guessing that keeping it from freezing and keeping moist in my unheated garage will be fine.

Any experienced advice would be great.
Thanks

 

[Gene Deci]

Anyone in the midwest have advice on overwintering coastal redwoods. I'm in Northern Illinois and picked up one this spring. Its taken a light frost, and is fairing well except the new growth tips.

Guessing that keeping it from freezing and keeping moist in my unheated garage will be fine.

Any experienced advice would be great.
Thanks

I have a couple of coastal redwoods that I got from Bob Shimon a year ago. I wintered them with my other trees in an unheated, partially underground shelter. The temperature is below freezing from December to March but didn't get below 25 degrees. The redwoods did fine.

 

[GO-OK]

Great to hear. Thanks for the input. Any dropping of needles/leaves?

Thanks again. Its a new species for me.

 

[october]

In my opinion, coastal redwoods should not be kept in freezing conditions. If anything they should be kept from the 40's-60's degrees F for winter. Keep in mind that in their native environment, California, they are very strong. However, when you take a species out of it's native environment, the tree may be not be as strong or resilient. I am not saying that they will not survive with freezing temps. However, everything I have read and how I have see them kept, indicates that they do well in humid, sub tropical conditions in winter.

Rob

 

[Vance Wood]

In my opinion, coastal redwoods should not be kept in freezing conditions. If anything they should be kept from the 40's-60's degrees F for winter. Keep in mind that in their native environment, California, they are very strong. However, when you take a species out of it's native environment, the tree may be not be as strong or resilient. I am not saying that they will not survive with freezing temps. However, everything I have read and how I have see them kept, indicates that they do well in humid, sub tropical conditions in winter.

Rob

I have never kept them here in Michigan but once-upon-a-time I lived in Northern California, north of Muir Woods. I lived there for eight years and there were times when we got winters down into the 20'sF. So I am not so certain how much frost or freeze conditions they will take. This last winter was so mild I do not think it a good bench mark for this tree in the Mid West. Sometimes, at least here in Michigan, we will have Temperatures in the single digits for weeks at a time. I am not certain how well Sempervirons will tolerate these conditions.

 

[Brian Underwood]

Here in Santa Rosa (NorCal), we also get temps in the twenties during winter months, which all of my many redwoods have survived just fine. I have never bothered protecting them at all, not even the shohin ones in shallow pots seem to care. But as October said, that is HERE, in California, and they may not be as happy elsewhere. They do require moist foliage, which is how redwoods get a lot of their water, so that may be an issue with other parts of the country that are drier. Personally, I would think a small greenhouse with temps 40-60 degrees, with daily misting would be the best option. Good luck!

 

[gergwebber]

I lived in the side of california that get winters in the teens, and has absolutly no conditions like the coast redwood range, which is a temperate rain forest. We had hot dry summers with no fog or coastal influence....they do okay in that climate, never reaching the massive heights of the coastal trees, but still healthy and long lived.

It is widley acknowledged that the "Soquel" cultivar is more drought resistant, and better tolerant of cold, at least in the landscape. Maybe you eastern folk should order up some soquels and see if they fair better than the coastal stock?

 

[GO-OK]

Thanks everyone. I generally overwinter my trees in an unheated garage. So upper 30's on average is no problem I do have some sunlight available also through a window.

Sounds like its a tree which is very adaptable.

FYI. The tree in question was purchased fora fair price from Mendocino Coast while attending the 3rdNat'l show. Very happy with the quality of stock & the vendor.

 

[Mike Westervelt]

I'd be a little careful with it, I've had 3 redwoods that were collected here (SW WA) from naturalized seedlings that have been overwintered for 10 plus years with no protection, I too got a nice one from the Shimons, and did great until 2 winters ago, it got below 20F for a couple days, it didn't survive but the locally grown ones are still doing fine.

 

[Vance Wood]

Whenever you grow trees in pots you should consider the tree as one or two growing hardiness zones less than listed as the species tolerance level.

 

[jferrier]

I'd be a little careful with it, I've had 3 redwoods that were collected here (SW WA) from naturalized seedlings that have been overwintered for 10 plus years with no protection, I too got a nice one from the Shimons, and did great until 2 winters ago, it got below 20F for a couple days, it didn't survive but the locally grown ones are still doing fine.

Collected in SW WA?