Bonsaify | This IS the KEY to Redwood Bonsai! 

Your humility is charming, but don't let it trick you. You're ready when you're ready (and you're ready)

Yes very similar. Although I've never worked on a yew bonsai. lol.

Hi - this was a collected trunk from Bob Shimon / MCBonsai.com. All I've done is basically create tiny branches!

This was also a collected trunk. I didn't see it before collection but probably 15 feet. They do respond well to hard cuts when healthy - although you're not guaranteed buds in any given location.

1:1:1 APL is my default. But I also use a 60% akadama premix called "Aoki". They will grow in a lot of mixes, proper watering for the mix you're using is the important thing to learn. They like water, but no tree should stay constantly wet. In the nursery we grow young ones from cuttings in 80/20 perlite:coco coir, and those do well also. More details here about our soil (but not specifically as it pertains to redwoods): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jaTZHXKPFeU.html

TBH, I haven't worked with them much. Someone put a link to another video about them in one of the other comments I think.

Yeah, but I might need to consult with @rakuyobonsai. I actually have a large-ish one now, but I find them temperamental in my climate. E.g I get them to gallon size and then they just die over the winter for seemingly no reason. I believe there is a diagnosed fungal pathogen causing it but I'm blanking on the name - Nutria? I'll find it again soon.

I've seen them grow in a lot of potting soils, which means to me it's not super important which one. But, I would caution that peat moss based soils have some problematic long-term properties. We use perlite as a base and mix in coco/bark. In bonsai many people use Akadama/Lava/Pumice.

100% akadama isn't great typically, but it works, it just breaks down faster. 50/50 akadama and pumice or lava works well. 60%-70% akadama is fine too for slower finer growth.

I have limited experience with dawn redwood, but I believe yes - pinching is needed to increase density.

@@Bonsaify Recommend Chris watches Bonsai Science (Candice). Her '5 Rules of the dawn redwood' is a MUST watch. Dawns are entirely different to coasts. 👍

I don't, these are Japanese terra cotta which are a bit tougher than the cheaper garden-center terra cotta. As for drying out - that's a good thing - the more times you need to water the faster you can get a tree to grow.

I do it when they look like in the video - it's hard to do it right when they're smaller, and if you wait longer then they're too long. Basically, whenever you can get your fingers in there! But as one of the other commentors said - scissors can work. I use them also. Just keep in mind that if you cut through the leaf, you'll end up with brown edges.

This is by no means a comprehensive guide to start-to-finish redwood development. This is only one step in middle/late development. Sacrifice branches are great on redwood for making taper - a lot of the collected trees have large chops but no real taper above the base. When you do a large cut leave a little extra space, and wait for it to send out buds where you want - then cut back again finally. Once you've stopped building wood you can start pinching. (whether in a trunk extension, or in a branch you want larger.)

Yes, although my experience with such is more limited.

Jonathan - watch Bonsai Science video '5 Rules of the Dawn Redwood'. Dawns are a different animal to Coasts. Dawns are deciduous in all climates. You have to know when and what to reduce. Candice is your expert!!

Jonathan ... Bonsai Science on RU-vid. Video entitled '5 Rules of Dawn Redwood'. You cannot treat dawns like coasts. Different animal entirely!

@@gwenpotter1511 Thanks for this, just watched it, don't know how I missed that one even though I'm subscribed

@@jonathanaristone2468 - my pleasure!

I don't think so.

The trunk was a collected tree from Bob Shimon. MCBonsai.com

Not specifically - only in that it allows more light. Backbudding is not a problem, although you can end up with budding only in a few places - which is the nodes. Pinching reduces the node length, so you get more budding sites in the same amount of space!

No

You could selectively pinch while allowing a top branch to run as sacrifice - but generally you want your trunk established before pinching begins, otherwise you have to constantly worry about the strong growth slowing the fine growth you're managing.

@@Bonsaify Thanks for the info.

One approach I'm trying is pinching in this fashion for a couple of years to develop ramification, then letting a terminal shoot run to thicken after

Nice! Yes, I agree that could be useful. And generally, pinching is only for trees where you have a trunk you like and are trying to create fine branching. That applies to pinching almost any species. If you don't have a good trunk then pinching is normally couter-productive.

🤣

Generally yes, spruce pinching in spring is almost exactly the same. Keep in mind that your tree should be in good health before you pinch.

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Good question. They are not freeze tolerant - e.g. 28F is about as low as you want to go. Beyond that, I'm not sure I totally understand the climate parameters they need. I would say you should try with an inexpensive nursery tree and see what happens! Keep in mind that the combination of heat/humidity might be a problem (or might not) - in the native range they either are subject to hot/dry or cold/moist. That said - more heat does produce faster growth, so it may be that you just need to watch for fungus during hot/wet conditions.

Im in NJ. I got a collected coast redwood last summer. It survived the winter in my garage where it didnt get below 40 degrees. It's just starting to awaken now

@@Bonsaify I guess you’re just going to have to send me one then! 😀

I’m just out side Charleston SC, I have successfully cultivated coastal redwood for the past 3 yr outside in my small nursery. I can confirm they do not like the cold snaps in the winter, results in die back and some ugly foliage. If you were able to protect them over winter I think your fine, there are some fungal challenges as well, those have to be managed on a case by case basis. Thru my research coastal redwoods are quite unique in that they have Tripoli chromosomes, and are able to express up to 16 different growth characteristics, basically they are very adaptable and we’re once spread throughout the continent. However the only way to get the different growth characteristics to express would be to germinate seeds in your spec climate, causing them to adapt from germination. I got mine as plugs from the west coast so they think there from there home range. Not sure how you are with seeds but interesting experiment, sorry for long winded reply, geeked out there for a minute.

See some of the comments and replies below.⬇️

I watched a video from Mirai. From my understanding you need to let dawn redwood grow until a bud appears. If you cut a frawn before any bud appears on that shoot, then it will die back

To those who asked about dawn redwoods I recommend Bonsai Science video 'Top 5 Rules of Dawn Redwood'. Very different work required from coast work.