Being a colored foliage form it might be expected to be a little slower than typical. How a given specimen will perform on a given site is not completely predictable.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Myth of Uniform Plant Performance

I have a grand total of four months experience with both Ogon and the regular form. The Ogons have grown about six inches and the regulars, perhaps a foot.

vancleaveterry, Wow, a 6 inch growth in only four months sounds great. What type of soil is your Ogon planted in.

Is it planted where it's bed stays more on the dry side, or is it situated where it can get lots of consistant moisture.

What size was yours when you first planted it?

did you add any special amendment when you planted it, or was it planted instead directly into the virgin soil.

We have had constant daily rains for weeks now, and even though I planted mine high, it still seems to not be happy with the mositure content in the soil, yet it remains alive even though it dropped its leaves during a recent week with no rain. Since, even with a resumption of daily rains, it is still showing no signs that it will releaf any time soon.

Hi Katrina,
I just got mine today- I've been wanting this tree for the last 4 years! I got it from Songsparrow nursery and it's in a gallon sized container with a height of about 3 1/2 feet. I plan on keeping it well watered all summer but I think I'll hold back on the fertilizer till next year.

I'm sorry to hear that your tree has been losing leaves. I hope the new one does better. Have you considered moving the older one or at least digging it up to see what's going on (see if the roots look healthy or if they're still all clustered in the original potting media?)

Katrina ... I have nine Ogons, all in large pots, started this spring at around 3 feet. Four of them are at THIS house. Of the four that I could check on today, only one grew vigorously from the central leader. That one grew a full 12 inches! The other three are sending branches up, but none of which could be called a good central leader. This growth is six to eight inches however.

I'm not sure what to do: stake the new growth; cut off the new growth now (or in the fall) ... and hope for a new leader?

The regular Dawn redwoods are growing even faster and having no problems with central leaders.

They were planted in potting soil and get watered twice a week. All will all be planted in the ground around February. They have not been fertilized yet, but there may have been some time release in the potting soil.

Kato B, Good luck with yours. 4 years is a long time to wait for one.

If my tree survives through the summer, I do plan to transplant it into a pot after it goes dormant this fall.

It sure seemes like doing that now would certainly kill the tree.

I guess I have to simply consider this my learning curve with this tree. At least my new one is supposed to be shipped out to me in only two more days, on the 18th.

Maybe I should re-pot the new one like vancleavterry has done with his. At least then the root system should be better matured before I plant it after the last threat of frost, next spring. I might even pay my favorite nursery to pot it up for me, since I am sure they will have a more specific tree potting mixture, which should be better than what I would know what to use in my fairly large pot.

Of course, they might even tell me to pot it up first in only a 5 gallon pot and keep repotting it into the next size pot whenever needed until it's root system and its size requires my larger pot.

I bought mine in the Spring of 2005 in a one gallon pot, 18 inches tall. It is now a little over 8 ft. It's planted in good soil, adequate water, no fertilizer. I'm in Zone 8, Seattle area. That's a long way from Oklahoma, both in distance and climate. Even though we are approximately in the same zone, my growth rate may not be the same as yours. I would expect the growth rate to exceed the dimensions listed in the site you found, given adequate summer water.
Click to enlarge.
{{gwi:369976}}

botann, What a wonderful tree. Is that a pond, creek, or lake the tree appears to be planted only 3 feet or so away from? Or instead, is it simply a ledge which drops off?

How much moisture does the soil in your tree's planting bed retain?

Your photo has certainly convinced me to keep my new one, which should arrive in a few days, potted up until it develops a good branching form as the pic reveals that your's exhibits.

The tree is located next to a pond I dug with a bulldozer over 25 years ago. The pond goes dry sometimes in the Fall. The soil doesn't go dry however. It's heavy, black, good topsoil that was pushed up by the dozer to make an island. Here are a couple of pictures that shows it's location better. Click to enlarge.
{{gwi:369978}}

{{gwi:369979}}

Okay, these last two shots were just what I needed for motivation to meander through your album.

Screaming, speechless beauty! How much of your forest heaven was already there before you started, and how long have you been planting, hardscaping, and landscaping such beauty in this "little Peace of Heaven" Place?

At least that is what it seemed to be for your cat; shown basking in the midst of it all. Then every once in a while do you get the itch for a little bit of the something more tropical; thus inspiring you to carve out an alligator? Better warn the cat to keep up its guard. At least you will not have to look far for the culprit; if the cat turns up missing any time soon.

Your album pics certainly add new meaning to the wiry old prospectors immortalized phrase,"Dars go-uld in dem dun hilz, boy!"

No wonder you had the perfect wet, yet still well draining spot for your Ogon 'Gold Rush'

I also found a pic of what looked to be the same tree at maybe a 5 foot height and while it was still planted in a pot. Was that the same 'Gold Rush', and how long since you first acquired the tree did you keep it in a pot before you planted it in its currently, perfect location?

I bought it at an early Spring sale and planted it just a few weeks later.
We bought it 29 years ago when it was just a horse pasture with trees. We put a 2,000 sq. ft. mfg home on it and started clearing the blackberries and Alders, leaving the large native Douglas Firs and Western Red Cedars.

The crocagator prefers dogs over cats. We have very few strays anymore. My cats like Aero. They hide under his belly. He doesn't seem to mind.

I wish I had a forest of gold Dawn Redwood. I'm going to try and propagate it this summer.

Best regards,
Bo and Aero

I planted one about this time last year and it has grown maybe 3". I realize its way too soon to determine growth rates, but its trailing the tortise-like pace of Psuedolarix. Of course, I've got it in about the worst possible place one could imagine. Light sandy soil and exposed to the blistering sun and wind. We just went through a brutal 10-day stretch of hot weather (upper 80's to low 90's) with not a drop of rain. The foliage actually stood up to this heat wave pretty well. There's some fading of color, but not bad. I know I'll lose it one of these winters (probably this next one), but I'm enjoying it while I have it.

Mine's pretty scruffy next to Botann's, but that's an awfully tough comparison. BTW Botann, since you're a hermit that likes to travel, how 'bout spending the summer here in Wisconsin doing a makeover of my garden? You could spend the nights out in the woods (just you and the mosquitoes) and days revamping my hopeless landscape. No cash, but plenty of satisfaction. :)

{{gwi:369980}}

basic, Your tree looks as healthy in the photo as mine did all last year, as long as I kept it watered during our drought. Mine broke dormancy nicely, early on this April, was shocked over a three day Easter period this year, with nights dipping down into the light freeze temp range. During that same time on the third day, the tree also endured a few hours of hard freeze.

Since I had wrapped it over each night it did not freeze immediately, but after the warm-up it seemed to go dormant; eventually dropping is leaves. It did later releaf a little bit, but just never could do it completely. Now, even though there is still green under the bark, the new leaves are dead.

From my early on experience with my tree, I would think that your tree should survive the summer heat if you water it properly.

After seeing where botann's tree is planted and growing so well, I have concluded that the last 8 weeks of our constant rains is what has caused my tree to suffer so much that it is at risk of never recovering. The clay soil here simply does not drain fast enough, and I figure that my mound where I planted it was not raised high enough to prevent the roots from drowning and quite possibly rotting.

Your photo appears to show that your land slopes, if ever so slightly, and that has given me a better idea of how to plan needed adjustments to my, newly arriving just this week, tree's planting bed.

Today, I went to my favorite nursery and purchased some well draining potting soil they use especially for their potted trees. Hopefull my new tree will have developed and grown well enough by my repotting it whenever needed and by the time I want to plant it; in the newly planned bed, next spring. Especially if I wait to transplant it from the pot after our chance of late frosts, normally have passed.

botann, wow it must feel good to share the beauty resulting from of all your hard laboring, over tha last almost 3 decades, with others; not only those presently in your life, but also with the world through your albums. Thanks.

I have a dawn redwood seedling that's about 4-5 ft high. I've heard conflicting info re same. One nurseryman said that a few weeks after I plant it, it will send out roots of about 7 ft looking for water. Another said the roots are not invasive and it is fine to plant near the house/septic field/well etc...Anyone know for sure? How far from a house and septic field should this be planted because of the roots and also because of the potential size?
Thanks Terry

I wouldn't plant it too close to a septic field or tank despite what the guy from the nursery said. (Nursery workers aren't necessarily Nurserymen) I have a large normal Dawn Redwood that has roots going below the winter water table. That tells me it would invade a drain field in short order.
As far as planting close to the house goes, I'd keep at least 20 ft. away. (6 to 7 meters)

Botann, thanks for the update on the rooting pattern of your Dawn Redwood. I kept my new replacement tree in a pot all summer, and want to plant it this next week.

My tree was shipped as a 'Gold Rush' cultivar, but it has not shown much yellow in the leaves, and its trunk seems to have much more red color in it than the first 'Gold Rush' I had that died early in the summer. I am now wondering if this time, instead of a 'Gold Rush' cultivar, a regular Dawn Redwood was shipped to me.

Even so, it does not seem worth sending it back. Just in case mine truely is not a 'Gold Rush' culitvar, I'll be sure to take your advice and plant it at least 20 feet away from my house.

A 'Gold Rush'/'Ogon' would be greenish if kept mostly in shade, which they probably did to keep from burning. Not sure how the color of the bark would be an issue as far as cultivar.

You should probably plant all large trees at least 20 feet from a house to be honest and smart, don't you think.

Most of the 'Ogon' are seen this year in Ohio have burned needles and look rather bleah looking all summer, and I'm getting pretty skepical that this tree really ever would grow normally/ well and look good in most situations. You would need a lot of dappled shade, but then the tree would not grow big anytime soon either. Oklahoma is going to be hot and dry, and hard on the tree.

Since, I have kept my new Ogon that was shipped to me late last spring in a pot on the East side of my house, it gets morning and noon time sun. At about 3 pm all but its very top is shaded. Is that enough shade to keep the leaves on my tree from turning as golden yellow as Gold Rush Ogons are expected to be?

In the summer, I did have to keep it well watered to avoid the leaves from turning brown. This Fall we have had enough rains and many of the days have been overcast and cool enough that the tree seems very happy.

The tree now looks so good; I have been tempted to plant it this week, but am still wondering if it would be better for me to wait until it goes dormant before planting it. The virgin soil where I want to plant it is a dark clay soil. That means I will need to remove a lot of the potting soil off the root ball and try to get more virgin soil around the roots I expose when I plant it.

Since the my clay soil's drainage issues require for me to remove so much of the potting soil around my Ogon's root ball, is it best that I wait for the tree to go dormant? The tree is not showing any signs of it trying to go dormant yet, but our night time low temps have not dropped lower then 40 F. degrees yet.

Late last spring, when the tree was first shipped to me, I repotted it into a decorative 10 gallon size pot and planned to wait till April 2008 before planting it. Now, I am tempted to plant it this week, but need some advice as to how much risk I would be taking by not waiting for it to naturally go dormant before I plant it.

Are these better to plant in the spring or the fall? Thanks!