Looks great!

Josh

I planted mine that was that size 1.5 yrs ago & it is now twice that. I had a neighbor that approached me about a month ago & said boy that tree is growing fast. She has no idea what it is & I'm not telling her either. All I said is that it starts growing late in the season & that is why you probably haven't noticed it yet. I have some pretty opionated neighbors that don't really need to know how big it gets. Although I am surrounded by 40-50' conifers in their yards, I have a feeling it won't go over well.

Anywho, when is the ideal time to limb these beauties up? Spring or fall?

Shouldn't you wait until the tree is older to limb up, so that it still gets a fluted trunk (unless you're trying to prevent that?)

Yeah, I'm preventing it. My mom has one in her yard that she plans to go for the fluted trunk. I'll get to see it both ways.

Hey Dax:

That redwood is beautiful. Did you water or use drip irrigation? Any special care? I'm considering more supplementary water / irrigating in the future. Spruce has been watering like a fiend all summer - I know this will help his trees get off to a better start.

TS Hanna is tearing up the coast now. The center is supposed to pass about 5-6 miles west of us this afternoon, at high tide, so we'll be in (undesirable) the quadrant. We are getting 45-55 knot winds now so the rain is vertical - she's making a huge racket. The dogs are anxious and pacing.

I'd be anxious and pacing, too! Hope you don't get a big storm surge.

Tipping it down over here too, but at least I'm 45 metres above sea level, so safe from floods.

Resin

Lalaland

The best time to prune trees generally is late winter/early spring.....before buds begin to swell. This would apply to your DR.

+oM

Thanks, Resin. The storm was moving very fast (30 mph) and storm surge was minimal this time. Dogs are sleeping peacefully now. Exhausted.

Thank you wisconsintom! I was just coming back here to search this forum for an answer. I guess it can wait. It's getting so wide that I keep brushing up on it while lawn mowing & to keep the neighbors in check. The last month it has been growing like crazy. I'd figured as much, but since it's growing so much now, I thought I could put it's energy going up instead of out.

Good Pam. No any care at all except the natural rains that have been going on since prior to palnting that thing. Once a week a steady rain. Amazing...

My garden is coming along nicely. I've been mowing today and anticipating another set of heavy rains tomorrow. Yesterday, the day before we got at least 3" of rain. It came down the size of bullets and at justt the perfect pace. Steady and strong, indeed.

Well, good luck. I always feel for anyone living near an ocean. I'v e got the good mid-west life,ah here.

Later,

Dax

Hi Dax, love the follow ups on your Metasequoia seedling. You're right, it is crankinin'. 9 ft of growth in a full year is pretty darned impressive. The only one I have is 'Gold Rush' ('Ogon'). I got it Spring '07 as a #1. It was probably 24-30"at that time. Right now it is around 8', so it's growing at a pretty good clip too. Its fun to watch these conifers grow from seedling size to tree in a short period of time. Dan

Very, very nice Dan.

Dax

Dan:

That tree is strikingly beautiful. I thought 'Gold Rush' grew more slowly but that may be wrong.

I'm curious. What are the sun/shade requirements for 'Gold Rush' where you live? Does it require at least partial shade?

Thanks,
Pam

Hi Pam, 'Gold Rush' is supposed to grow slower than the species. I think mine is just in a spot that it really likes. Mine is planted on the Northeast corner of my house. It gets morning sun and a little bit of early evening sun, which is when this photo was taken.(I guess I'd call it a partial shade situation) It's in a raised bed with fertile soil, with hostas, so it gets watered frequently. This was my second attempt at growing a one gallon 'GR'. The first one was smaller and didn't do much the first year and the rabbits ate it to the ground it's first winter. This one was larger and planted in April '07 and really took off right away. The best part is that I got it for $15.00 as an add on to a shipment of Japanese maples from Eastfork nursery. A last second impulse buy that really paid off :-) Dan

Here's mine now that was purchased in a one gal. pot in the Spring of 05. Blue China Fir on the left. It's considerably older. Twentyfive years older.
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This is what it looked like a year later after I purchased it. These trees are nice! Wish I had a grove of them.