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hairmetal4ever

metasequoia seedling update, hardening off...

hairmetal4ever
9 years ago

I posted a few threads earlier this year about my growing Metasequoia from seed adventures.

Although for a while I didn't believe it, they did indeed end up about 18" tall as a few posters said they would. The majority of the height growth has been in the last 6 weeks.

Problem is, they're still growing! The lower third or half of the stems are more or less woody, or at least partly so. The base of the stems are around 0.5 cm on average, but the upper part of each stem, and side branches are still fully green, soft, and pliable, about 8 weeks before our first fall frost typically arrives...

I have observed Metas before, but these are the first ones that are "mine" to observe - I know they typically grow late into the season, but is it normal that the tips are still so soft and pliable on September 1? My oak seedlings, which flushed three times this summer, very quickly set terminal buds and the growth is hardened but still greenish, but they're definitely preparing for winter.

The Metasequoias...I can't really tell what they're doing! The growth has slowed down some, and it appears all but 2 of the 11 remaining trees (I gave a couple away) have set some sort of terminal bud (see pic below), but are still growing laterals that are now extending past the green terminal buds.

The pic attached is the top of the leader of the largest one (about 20" tall). There's a greenish thing that appears to be a terminal bud, but the stem is still very green and soft, and the lateral next to it appears to be overgrowing the terminal bud.

For those who have grown them from seed in particular, is this typical behavior? They don't usually turn to fall color until mid-November, so I would expect late hardening, but is this normal? Our first freeze is usually late Oct., but we don't usually get into the low or mid 20s until sometime in the latter half of November.

What should I expect over the next 2 months or so?

Comments (14)

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here's a pic of the full tree.

    Wish I could keep it from turning sideways in GW...

  • lou_spicewood_tx
    9 years ago

    I think they will start to harden off soon once weather starts to cool off significantly but not to the point of freezing. Looks like I will see a significant cooling off sometime next week and keep cooling down from there on. I hope not to see a repeat of December of 2005. I saw one day with a high of 90*F then a few days later, it went as low as 14*F. A lot of plants got damaged from that due to lack of hardening off...

  • tlbean2004
    9 years ago

    Did all that growth appear this year?
    When did seeds sprout?
    That is very nice healthy growth!
    Since they are in pots, just keep them out of the freezing cold.
    You dont want to riskk losing them. Plant them in the ground next spring.

  • Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
    9 years ago

    Them are aome fine looking fellas there. I guess their secret to fast growth is just constant growth.

    Guys, is it safe to leave the green leafed fellas out into the low 40's so they get the hint to harden off? Only bringing them into the garage or shed for an early frost?

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    They sprouted in April of this year.

  • lou_spicewood_tx
    9 years ago

    When I clicked on the pictures, they get rotated back up...

  • noki
    9 years ago

    Why do people have such lack of faith that trees know how to grow properly? If they have been outside all summer, why not stick them in the ground and let them do what they do?

  • tlbean2004
    9 years ago

    How did you get so much growth since April?

    That will be a very fast growing tree!

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    noki, I am only keeping 3 or 4 of them. The rest will be planted at a friends' house this fall.

    The remainder I will probably overwinter in the containers, possibly even potting up once they need it, since we're probably buying land to build a new home on, so I'll be planting them at the new house sometime next year.

    tlbean, this is apparently what Metasequoia does. A couple other posters who've grown them from seed said this is exactly what they do - about 18-24" the first year from seed.

    I have them growing in a slightly modified version of Al's 5-1-1 mix (from the Container Gardening forum) using Dynamite controlled-release fertilizer and a few shots of Foliage Pro earlier this summer.

  • Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
    9 years ago

    hairmetal4ever, for a couple years I have had a couple metasequoias in pots. They are in a moderately protected area under a dogwood sorta between the hill and my home. Even last year which was terribly cold they did fine. I have slacked on burying the pots or packing leaves or clippings or anything around them and they have done fine.

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I will probably mulch around the pots.

  • jayhawkfan56
    9 years ago

    Update on my "seedling"- pushing 34" and still growing furiously. No fertilizer...just what I call the "frog" soil that they sell at local garden centers, and 10 hours of sun per day.

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    The frog soil, if I'm reading that right, is loaded with nutrients (aka fertilizer). Good growth is containers is dependent upon nutrients, as well as drainage and aeration.

    Josh

  • jayhawkfan56
    7 years ago

    Hair, any updates on your seedlings? Mine is planted out and about 4 feet now and completely defoliated earlier this year due to lack of water. Bounced back nicely.