|
| I was given a tree from one of the big box stores a couple months or so back. I really didn't expect a redwood to grow here in Central Florida, but so far it growing at an astonishing rate and looks as healthy and green as any my native Slash and Loblolly Pines. Question is... will they grow here or have I just been lucky with it so far? It was a small bare root tree when I got it, now it's in a small pot and it's branching out and has doubled in size. I just need to know what to do with it and what to expect as I have never "noticed" a Redwood tree here in Central Florida.
??? |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Jun 15, 11 at 12:46
| why would bigboxstore have a redwood .. i think we need to start with a proper ID ... unless you are 100% sure ... can you post 2 pics ...one of the whole tree.. one closeup of a branch with needles ... and what part of FL are you in ... the PNW is not hot.. most of FL is hot ... ken |
|
- Posted by jayinflorida USDA9 (My Page) on Wed, Jun 15, 11 at 15:08
| I don't know as to why... it's was on "Earth Day" and they were giving them away for free. Below are 3 pics I took this afternoon... the tag says it's a "Coast Redwood". I put the tree in a chair to use as a "size scale". As stated above, I live in Central Florida... "Lakeland" area to be more specific... between Orlando and Tampa.
|
|
| Pretty little tree. Use it for a Bonsai, and it'll be easier to give it what it needs to stay alive in your climate.
|
|
| I knew someone who tried Coast & Dawn redwoods as well as giant sequoias in Merritt Island (east of Orlando on the coast.) Seems like they grew well at first and then faded away. |
|
- Posted by jayinflorida USDA9 (My Page) on Wed, Jun 15, 11 at 22:48
| Well, I had/have a feeling that it's just not meant to grow down here... So, if I keep it in a pot... explain the Bonsai method since I know nothing about it. |
|
| In a nutshell, Bonsai involves keeping a tree small with a combination of root pruning, crown pruning, defoliation, wire training and other techniques. The object is a small plant with the aspects of its full-grown nature. Here's an example of a Coast Redwood on display at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens:
There are thousands of books on the subject and reams of free online information on the how-to aspects. Linked below is a good summary article at Wikipedia. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Wikipedia on Bonsai
|
| I work at Leu Gardens in Orlando. We planted out a Sequoia sempervirens 'Majestic Beauty' in Sept. 2000 and it grew well until this fall. It started to decline and was dead by spring. Don't know what happened. It was about 4ft tall when it was planted and was about 15ft when it died. This spring I planted out a small S. sempervirens and a S. sempervirens 'Aptos Blue'. So far they are doing well. Now Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, does well here as long as it gets moist/wet soil. We have several planted out along with specimens of several cultivars. The only problem I have noticed is that the variegated/spotted/golden cultivars lose their coloring after a couple years. Sequoiadendron does not grow here at all. |
|
- Posted by famartin z5 NE NV (famartin1@yahoo.com) on Fri, Jun 17, 11 at 6:21
| I can imagine Coast Redwood doing alright in Florida since it seems to do well in the Central Valley of California if provided irrigation. It also does well in Georgia and South Carolina which also suggests that its reasonable to give it a try. |
|
- Posted by salicaceae z8b FL (My Page) on Fri, Jun 17, 11 at 16:40
| There are a few very, very large ones around north Florida and south GA - at least 30 meters tall and more than 50 years old. They need good moisture to do well - this is definitely true of Metasequoia. |
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 Conifers 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.