miami is in jersey????

looks like you are pretty new to GW.. welcome ...

you havent given us much to go on joe ...

how long have they been in the pots ????

did you have them last winter.. how do we rule out seasonal color change???

trees dont need all that much in the soil.. the issue of course.. is how long it has been potted.. and what you have washed out the bottom ... but i dont know how you test a pot .. and otherwise.. you are suggesting you jsut willy nilly guess.. and start dumping media amendments in the pot ... and i guess i wouldnt do that ... especially now that the plant should basically be dormant..

is there any reason you couldnt plant them right now ???

i guess i would start by asking for a pic.. so we can see if its normal fall/winter coloration.. or something out of the ordinary.. that requires action on your part ...

and what is your zone.. i do not know S jersey ????

ken

The tips getting yellow brown is pretty normal. I have two coast redwoods and live in Connecticut. It happens every year... It is basically a die back of sorts. First the tips die and then it moves inward, damaging/killing smaller branches.. They usually look pretty beat up by the end of the winter, but they have always come back in the spring..
Mine are planted in the ground now, but for the first 5 years I let them grow in large pots. I would bring the pot indoors every January, and keep it in a cold basement till April, where I would then bring it back outside.. I did this to build its tolerance and so it would grow large enough to product more sap and be able to with stand a winter outside. When I finally did plant mine outside, I put leaves around the base every winter to sort of insulate it. Good Luck.

Yeah but taxo-man is miamijoe saying this happened at the end of a winter? He seems to mean it is happening now. FWIW, I've been experimenting with redwoods for several years now and have never seen any kind of tip dieback, whether from cold, heat, drought or nutritional issues. I have lightly fertilized them in some but not all springs. (Assume that fertilizer manufacturers want you to use more than you need, and adjust accordingly. Except for certain plants that are hogs like Brugsmansias)

If you're in the pine barrens, just a friendly reminder/warning that certain frost hollows towards the center of that area (indicated on the new map) have a strong 6b tendency, which might make it somewhat more of a challenge than it would otherwise be. I remember a few winters ago my minimum was 7F and someone near the Pine Barrens was -2F, even though he was closer to the Atlantic as the crow flies.

This post was edited by davidrt28 on Mon, Dec 3, 12 at 17:48

Yes I am new I am in zone 6 I got them via online when they were about 8 inches tall, that was last october. I have not planted them yet becuase I am giving them to a friend who is building a home and has lots and lots of room. I am keeping one...I did not plant them because I thought they were to young to plant outside. Can they wait until spring? I will send pic tomorrow. thanks for all the help!

I am about 20 miles from the Pine barrens, I live in Sewell NJ, my house is on old farm land that use to be apples and peaches... Thanks for all the in put this is a great site and I will be using it very often. Again I will post photo, on Wed 12/3 as for the name Miamijoe its a joke because I am a Miami Dolpins fan in NJ

Yes you can keep them in a sunny but cool unheated garage.

Don't keep them potted beyond about 3-4' tall though, there's a diminishing ROI. And when you do plant them, cut any circling roots.

This post was edited by davidrt28 on Mon, Dec 3, 12 at 19:00

Do your tips resemble this? I just took this photo tonight. Look in the background, at those orange areas..

J

No I guess I a worry wart, mine are not that bad....but thats what I afraid of.... I think I got worried because in the summer they were so nice and green.....thanks so much for going out of your way for me! I will post photo and get your option...again thanks so much!

No problem. Sounds good!
J

Here are some photos.
1. Zone 7 I used the link on this page and it says zone 7 early I posted zone 6
2.Been in pots since Oct 2011, in gallon pot now.
3.I keep the soil moist and soak it good when dry.
Is it normal to have the lower branches wilt like that?

Another photo

1 more

Last one

Reminds me of a plant that is starved for light. Are they out in the light or tucked back into a real shady corner of the deck or something?

+oM

It looks completely normal to me. If exposed to winter winds and tempratures down to -12deg Celsius(~10F) you might have your trees look like this. Late March 2012. (aproximately 1,4m tall)

but then in spring will be green again and mid-November, after dormancy comes, 2,20m tall(6,5feet)at 2 years and seven months old!

Yours look great! Have fun.

Best regards,
Fotis

Nope they get plenty of light on an open deck....I have been taking them in when it dips below 30 and they get 8 hours of a plant light

Wow awesome! Your redwood looks great! Thanks for you help.

Joe, your trees look normal and healthy.. The bottom branches have done that on mine as well. They just get some-what weighted down by the quick growth of new foliage.
J

Thnaks so much any advice on watering or food?

Water them when the soil seems dry.. Stick your finger in the soil knuckle deep and if its still moist give it a few more days and then rewater.. I never gave mine any food..
Check out this old thread below..
I have a few pics posted..

J

Here is a link that might be useful: link

i dont do redwood..

but arent those pretty big trees ... for a pretty small pot ...

should he be up-potting come the appropriate spring timing???

ken