One more question.
Could it be air layered now and chopped in the late spring????

You might still be in the safe zone for air layering (usually an over summer or over winter thing but not sure on redwoods)

You will probably want to put it in more soil for now, since you're going to try air layering and you can reduce the soil after you do your chop.

Here is a link that might be useful: Redwood Bonsai

Good link with the info I need to proceed.
I feel that since I'm going to chop any way there is nothing to lose by air layering.
Thanks again for the link.
Paul

No, now is NOT the time to begin an air layer. Air layers are done when the tree is actively growing. The tree is preparing to go dormant now and the air layer would/will fail. Don't do it until spring.

Ryan

If the air layer is done in late February and the chop in late April or May the tree will still have time to recover and grow. Should I re-pot at that time or wait until the following spring????

Paul

It might vary on where you live, being in So Cal. an overwinter air layer is actually possible and the two times you would want to start are in the spring and in october.

The only thing is, as the guy noted in the article, the air layering on the redwood is expected to take over a year.

If you have a hard date in mind for the chop, you might as well try anyway since you're going to chop it off. The worst that will happen is that you end up throwing away the section you were going to toss in the first place.

Ryan And Wiz

Air layered it On 11/07/11.
I don't want to wait until spring to air layer and wait another year for a chop. If it doesn't take I have lost nothing since I'm going to chop anyway.
If it takes I'll let you know. If It doesn't i wont. :-)

You might want to tell us if it doesn't as well so we can see if it won't work in colder climates.

OK.
I tried it last year with a Japanese maple and it did root but when it was taken from the mother tree the roots fell of with the soil. This time the rooting medium is a mixture of fine turface and moss instead of all fine turface and it is in a pot Instead of wrapped in Plastic. .
I'll be more careful if it roots

It's becoming winter, the tree is going to drop leaves and stop with growth. Air layers work best in the spring. You'll probably just end up chopping it.

So I don't mislead anyone, the maple was done at the end of September and we had a mild fall.
That's about a month and a half earlier. It was also well protected.

Ryan and Wiz
2 months have gone by since the air layer.
For what it's worth there are buds above and below the air layer.

Many nurseries have young dawn redwoods. The one I purchased was an end of the year special, probably 50 percent off. Try on route one north of Boston near Topsfield, "Wolf Hill". They have 2 nurseries, If one does not have it they may be able to get it from the other. Most nurseries have put the trees away for the winter but they start taking stock out sometime in march. It may be worth a call.

>

Ryan And wiz.
The buds above and below the air layer are starting to swell, when should i start checking for roots.

Don't worry about checking for roots for a while. It needs much more time. You'll be able to see roots forming through the moss. "Checking" will only mess things up.

Thanks for your reply
Paul

I did chop off the air-layer and as we speculated there is no roots but it had started to callus so Rootone was applied again and the top was potted anyway.
The main tree is well branched with a lot of healthy leaves (needles??) so I think I'll re-pot unless someone tells me it's to late.

Paul