How to grow a giant sequoia at home!
The giant sequoia is grown in all zones.Climate is referred to as zones.There are challenges for the sequoias in extreme environments.The sequoias can be found in most climates.Liquid water in the root zone is the limiting factor.On a warm day, a sequoia can suck the ground dry.The sequoias must be supplemented with irrigation if there is no natural way to replenish the soil.A dead tree is caused by failure to keep the soil moist.The soil is well-drained and moist.Mud and swampy soil won't work.Giant sequoias grow in many different places around the US and the world in our website gallery.
Good gardening techniques and good conditions will allow the giant sequoia to put on growth rings of one inch per year.It would increase the trunk diameter by 2 inches a year.You can expect the tree to have a trunk diameter of 20 inches in its 10th year, 60 in 30 years, 100 in 50 years and 200 in 100 years.The trunk is 17 feet in diameter.The growth rings could double the 100 year total to 34 feet in trunk diameter.The largest diameter trees in the wild would be in competition with the tree.The diameter of the General Grant Tree is over 40 feet.The sequoias have to compete with other trees for food, water, and space in the wild.There is a shortage of the essentials for rapid growth.In the wild it can take 3000 years to do what we can do in 100 years by exercising certain controls over the sequoias.The greatest potential for rapid growth is provided by water and nutrients.
The sequoias go through color changes in the winter and early spring.The tree is more vulnerable to the color change when it is younger.Trees less than a year old are more likely to be affected.I've seen it in trees up to five years old, but never in older trees.The colors that are yet to be named are produced during the wintertime.The colors were described as burgundy, red, rust, brown, and bronze.It is difficult to describe a color that has yet to be named.The discoloration doesn't happen every winter.It will come on suddenly after a cold snap.The burgundy discoloration phenomenon can be reduced by adequate water in the soil.Only those that are exposed to the wind and drying conditions will be affected by the snow.The trees will not be harmed by the discoloration because it brings out a pigment that is already present.When sufficient irrigation is applied and the temperatures remain warm, the condition will disappear.You can see photos of this condition on the website.
Depending on your climate and soil type, the most cost effective way to fertilize your soil is not.The chemical makeup of the soil is a factor.At the 5,000 foot elevation of the central Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, we use a blend of fertilizers that was created from trial and error.We have a warm and cool blend.The warm and cool seasons are for soils that are over 70 degrees F.There is a plant-food cart at http://www.giant-sequoia.com.Gardeners can use their own method of enriching the soil.The giant sequoias need the soil to be fertile.
The giant sequoia is the fastest growing conifer on the planet.4 feet of growth is expected in the third year for trees in large pots and one-inch plus growth rings.They could grow faster every year.When the sun is blocked, giant sequoias grow quickly and are less dense.Once they reach full sun, they stop growing tall.They grow a thick trunk, dense foliage, and quickly put on weight once they reach full sun.
The distance between sequoias is dependent on what you are trying to achieve.If you want to screen for privacy or windbreaks, they can be planted as close together as six feet.30 to 60 feet apart is more appropriate for specimen giants.
The sequoias have little white roots.The tree depends on the roots for hydration.The roots snap off.When visiting the sequoia groves in the national parks, visitors are told to stay on the trails because walking under the giants will crush the shallow feeders.Sequoias should not be bare.The process of removing the soil will also remove the roots.The tree will slowly die once the roots are removed.The sequoia's only hope is to grow new roots before it dies from dehydration.That is not likely.Many people have tried sequoias in their area and assume that they died because of a variety of problems.The feeder roots were destroyed by bare rooting.Shipping costs are higher to get sequoias with the roots intact but the chances of transplant success are improved from a very low percentage with bare root to 100 percent for container grown stock.
Cut the dead wood from the failing trees with sharp shears.It is a good idea to clean the debris away from the base of the trees.Pests can hide in leaf litter and other debris.The grass and weeds can be eliminated with a 3 foot diameter circle.A basin with imported soil is needed.Don't dig around the trees.The roots are not very deep.Giant Sequoia Bonsai Plant Food can be used at full strength.During the growing season, pour 2 gallons of this mixture into the basin every two weeks.Email a picture to an expert for a diagnosis.
In a flood plain, planting near a creek is not advisable.The trees could be washed away by a flood.Sometimes the water table is too high in low lying land.There is a chance that the soil is not flushed clean.The water is drawn up by a sponge from the shallow water table.That causes a build up of toxins.Plants that are adapted to swamp-like conditions can handle toxins.The giant sequoia needs clean soil.
Long-term maintenance of giant sequoias is not helped by a heated indoors.They will most likely survive the winter inside a house, but will have lost their bearings regarding their climate adaptation.Spending some time outside in the cold of winter is helpful for them to get used to their environment.The container should be watered well and placed outside to be buried by the winter snow.Maintenance won't be needed until the snow is gone in the spring.The trees won't be able to survive under the snow because of the cold drying winds.If there is no snow, the sequoias will have to be taken into a garage or cellar occasionally to thaw and be watered.The trees can be set back out after a few days of warm weather.They should be kept out of the cold.They will keep in the cellar or garage until the temperature moderates.The shock of rapidly changing temperatures should be avoided.The sequoias are unaffected by the cold of winter.Wintertime damage is done by dehydration.
You can plant your seedling in fertile soil.The ground is not muddy or frozen.When the ground is ready for planting, store your trees upright in the containers that come in.The best place to store the trees is outdoors.The soil should be moist during storage.Full sun is better than partial sun.
If you want to remove the seedling from the container tube, you can use a table edge or other hard surface.If you hold the tree away from the hard surface, the trunk won't be damaged during removal.The trees are flexible.They are easy to bend without breaking.To protect the tree from the table edge, use one hand to grip the container and the other to tap.During removal from the containers, do not break or disturb the roots.
Water your trees!The roots of the giant sequoias should not be allowed to dry out completely.Giant sequoias need constant hydration.It is helpful to occasionally flood the root zone to make sure there is enough water in it.The giant sequoias in the landscape garden are dying from the lack of water.There are no known diseases or insects that plague giant sequoias.There are deficiencies in the soil.We recommend Giant Sequoia Plant Food for sequoias planted in the ground.You can find both products at the website at http://www.giant-sequoia.com.
Keep your soil fertile.Giant sequoias are the fastest growing conifer on the planet when given fertile loose soil.They will grow in hard soil, but it will be slower.It is possible to destroy your seedlings without being detected.
Young sequoias are susceptible to freeze-drying.Young trees can be killed by freeze-drying if they go into the winter already dry.Keep them watered.If possible bury the trees in the snow.Young people are buried in snow all winter.If there is no snow, you may want to build a windbreak or put a box over them.The sequoias become less vulnerable to freeze-drying as they mature.The cold isn't a problem.The wind is dry.
There isn't enough sustenance to sustain lower branches.The lower branches will die if there is a lack of sunlight or an insufficient root system.Cut the damaged and dead lower branches to the trunk of the tree.