Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Redwood pruning

brotherwajvutTYMvEbrotherwajvutTYMvE Posts: 2
in Plants
I have a ~7ft Dawn Redwood which I planted about 6 weeks ago which arrived with 2 main stems from about the halfway point. Both are the same height, both vertical with a lot of growth on each.

Obviously a Redwood should have one main trunk with the branches off to the sides, so my question is should I cut off one of the two stems at this stage? Photos are in included.


Posts

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    These trees get huge, it would be hard to see it felled in a few years. Not sustainable in my opinion.

    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Having two growth points will slow it down a bit but they are absolutely enormous trees. If you want a single trunk then you can snip out the one you don't want.

    I've got one about the same size as yours that I grew from seed and it's kept in a pot. It doesn't seem to mind and is happy to be a biggish bonsai. Mature specimens can get 15ft across at the base.
  • brotherwajvutTYMvEbrotherwajvutTYMvE Posts: 2
    GardenerSuze said:
    These trees get huge, it would be hard to see it felled in a few years. Not sustainable in my opinion.

    I have a pretty huge garden and the far end is basically a grass field for the dogs to run around in (as you can probably tell from the photos). I've got 4 trees planted in that area but this one is in a good position for size and shade on ours and neighbours' gardens. 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited May 2023
    @brotherwajvutTYMvE I have worked in a garden with mature specimens. It was part of a country estate that was divided up for housing.
    So many gardeners purchase a tree only to have it felled because it is too big. Not sure
    any future purchaser would want it,  would be flagged by a house surveyor. So it is possible that it would then be felled. Could be their for your life time or as long as you live in your house. In the life of a Redwood a very short time. 
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Mrs-B3-Southampton,-HantsMrs-B3-Southampton,-Hants Posts: 732
    @brotherwajvutTYMvE Can you post a pic showing your pretty huge garden please?
    Southampton 
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    Metasequoia glyptostroboides... common  name Dawn redwood.
    Fabulous trees.

    I would remove one side branch in winter to give it a good single leader.
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    A bit of a tangent but if you like big trees, there are some fabulous redwoods in Ambleside, near lake Windermere.

    https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/stagshaw-garden-and-ambleside/ambleside-champion-tree-trail

    They have some champion trees (a special specimen of that species in the uk) and a few are redwoods. It's nice to see how big they can get in the uk compared with other places.

    There's a bit more here

    https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/cumbria/countryside/skelghyll-wood.htm

  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    thevictorian said:
    A bit of a tangent but if you like big trees, there are some fabulous redwoods in Ambleside, near lake Windermere.

    https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/stagshaw-garden-and-ambleside/ambleside-champion-tree-trail

    They have some champion trees (a special specimen of that species in the uk) and a few are redwoods. It's nice to see how big they can get in the uk compared with other places.

    There's a bit more here

    https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/cumbria/countryside/skelghyll-wood.htm

    Dawn redwoods are very different from the redwoods growing in Stagshaw garden.

    The very oldest     Metasequoia glyptostroboides..common name dawn redwood in UK was planted 1948...not before

    Quote www....
    "The Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides is a conifer that was only re-discovered in central China in 1941. It was known from the fossil record but was thought to be extinct. It is one of the World’s most endangered trees. It was introduced to Britain in 1948 and has since been planted in many parks and gardens in warmer regions."

    A wonderful tree if you have the space.
    1. Our one in wales.
    The trunks are fab...see pics 2-4 taken art Cluny House Gardens. Perthshire.



    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Hi @Silver surfer I know dawn redwoods are different, being deciduous for one thing, its just the walk I added has some very nice large trees that I thought might interest some. 

    That's a beautiful specimen in the pictures you added.
Sign In or Register to comment.