|
| We planted some small redwood trees about 2 years ago. 2 are the sierra gigantus and the others are coastal redwoods.
These are trees that thrive in this area. The problem is that they have not grown more than about 6 inches is 2 years! We have heavy clay soil and don't really do much watering since they grow in the area with no outside help.We usually get quite a bit of rain (25 inches or so)Not so much this year, though. When we planted, we had a neighbor bring his backhoe in and dig fairly large holes (about 3x3)for the 1 gallon trees. Is there something we can feed the trees? Any other ideas? Thanks Nancy |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| I don't know much about growing redwoods but I think that clay isn't good for them and from my experience I have learned that they need lots of water but dislike poor drainage. Marko |
|
| Hmmm... need to know more about your site to be sure. Are you on the coast or inland? Do you get lots of summer fog or very little/none? Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) needs all the moisture it can get in summer. If it doesn't get it through fog, then it needs plenty of water. Zone 8 sounds a bit warm for Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum, what you incorrectly refer to as Sierra gigantus). I think they prefer cold in the winter; after all, in their natural habitat they are buried under many feet of snow every year! They may also be suffering from lack of summer water; normally the snow in their habitat doesn't melt until May and all that meltwater sinks into their soil, keeping them wet for a while. If you are inland, it might get too hot for Giant Sequoia during the mid summer. |
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Feb 18, 12 at 8:59
| food will not make a transplant become 'established' ... and is not the solution IMHO ... a 3 by 3 foot hole is a bit extreme ... what did you throw in the hole after the backhoe worked it?? did you plant high in clay, like we like to recommend for heavy clay ... and IMHO .. just about the only thing a recent transplant needs.. is PROPER WATERING for 2 to 3 years.. until it grows the root mass necessary .. to get fully established.. at which time it can be considered free range ... it appears.. that you considered it free range .. immediately .. because they grow in the area ... ken |
|
- Posted by formandfoliage 9b Sunset zone 15 No (My Page) on Sat, Feb 18, 12 at 9:34
| Nancy Jane I'm north of SF, too, although in a warmer zone than you are...the S. sempervirens that are planted inland around here really need water. Sounds like, as others have pointed out, they haven't gotten well established, and if you're hot in summer they will do better with irrigation even once established. Some genius decided to plant them as freeway trees along here and they have languished and died due to lack of water and reflected heat (and probably smog). The Sequoiadendron giganteum (you gave it its old name) needs even more water - most of its water in its native habitat is snow, which takes a while to melt and the cooler mountain temps mean that the soil holds moisture for most of the summer. I have three S. giganteum 'Pendulum' and several nursery people have told me that they might not survive here, but I have them in the wettest spot (where irrigation water flows downhill to them) and so far, so good, but they're only coming on four years in the ground and our last two summers have been cool. Despite the fact that they are both our state tree, they don't necessarily adapt to garden culture here, especially low-water gardens. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Form and Foliage
|
| Climate suitability can be checked in Sunset WESTERN GARDEN BOOK or on gardening part of Sunset Publishing web site. Both species are familiar landmark trees in my part of USDA 8. Especially in the dry summers of the Pacific Coast all new plantings can be expected to need watering during rainless periods for at least one year. And results with trees and shrubs is consistently enhanced by effective mulching, regardless of where you live. |
|
- Posted by nancyjane_gardener USDA 8ish No CA (My Page) on Sat, Feb 18, 12 at 19:09
| Sonoma County, foggy AMs in summer, warm afternoons. The 3x3 ft holes were filled back in with our own clay soil. I'll set up a drip system before the summer. We are in the process of adding mulch. The giant sequoias have actually grown more than the redwoods. I was told they grow well here. I guess I was wrong. Ken, no need to yell, I get it. WATER! Thanks all. Nancy |
|
- Posted by formandfoliage 9b Sunset zone 15 No (My Page) on Sat, Feb 18, 12 at 19:53
| Nancy I got my S. giganteum pendula at Urban Tree Farm and then just about everyone else at the specialty conifer places told me that they didn't do well around here due to not enough water. So far, I'm proving them wrong; you may, too. The first year or two on both of them you might want to augment the drip with some deep watering. Good luck - water may well make all the difference. And bboy's point about mulching is really important - it not only retards water evaporation but keeps the roots cooler in the hot weather. Sara |
|
- Posted by nancyjane_gardener USDA 8ish No CA (My Page) on Sat, Feb 18, 12 at 20:43
| Sara, I like Urban Tree Farm. We also have a newish tree farm just around the block from us called R-Trees. They've been very helpful since we lost our massive Chinese Elm to Dutch Elm Disease. The redwoods we got at the Jail sale up by the airport. (you do know about that don't you?) for a few bucks each. Those sales are SUCH a good deal! Nancy |
|
| It's not hard to find retail nursery workers who spout rubbish. Any topic where you have no real inkling what to do, check multiple sources - including different types of sources - before investing much time and money in an operation or project. Asking at several nurseries won't save you if they are all nurturing the same disproven falsehoods, like amending of planting hole backfill. This one has still not died out despite beginning to be seen as unhelpful over 40 years ago. Your planting holes should have, if anything been 6' across and 6" deep instead of 3' x 3'. Roots respond to the aeration resulting when soil is dug, but few will grow deeply into a heavy clay soil. This is well revealed when tall trees growing on shallow soils blow over. There is no benefit to digging much below the level the roots are at when the specimen is first planted. And you don't want it to sink into a layer of settling soil beneath it after planting. Often when Americans say Chinese elm they are really talking about Siberian elm. Although not immune this is DED tolerant. It is the common, often trashy looking small-leaved elm of dry climates in this country. English elms grow tall and "massive", and are currently being taken out by DED on the west coast - about the last place left where there were numbers of these still present. |
|
- Posted by formandfoliage 9b Sunset zone 15 No (My Page) on Sat, Feb 18, 12 at 23:05
| Actually, Urban Tree Farm is great. And I did not mean to suggest that they did not know their business; rather, it was the conifer geeks at the specialty nurseries who went a bit 'overboard'. Nancy, of course I know Jail Industries well - I'm the Sonoma Master Gardener website editor and you may well find some useful info there; the MGs are the workers at all of the JI sales. It is hard to find a better deal than at JI, but buyer beware! Many times the plant is not completely identified, but most people don't care because the price is so good. Sonoma County is blessed by having as many good nurseries as we do. Our local resources are, by and large, really good. Most recognize the microclimates and the differing conditions that they produce, and guide accordingly. I wouldn't say that the majority are nurturing any falsehoods and most understand the the soil and climatic conditions differ widely across the County. That is one of the most interesting aspects of gardening here in Sonoma. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Sonoma County Master Gardeners
|
| OK, if its foggy most mornings then it shouldn't be too dry for Coast Redwood and shouldn't be too hot for Giant Sequoia. Just make sure they get plenty of water and hope for the best. Extra water might help for a year or two. |
|
- Posted by nancyjane_gardener USDA 8ish No CA (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 11:15
| Well, I thought 3x3 would be OK for 1 gal plants. My BAD. Not alot I can do about that 2 years later, or is there? The coastal redwoods are from this area, and the neighbor's trees took off like crazy in just a few years (same clay soil). That is why I'm confused about the slow growth of ours. He probably had a watering system hooked up that I didn't see. I'll have to check it out. The Chinese elm was indeed a Chinese elm.ID'd by several tree guys when it got sick. They are DED RESISTANT, but not immune to DED. Nancy |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Trees Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.