Hello,

Sequoiadendron in zone 4?!?

Sorry friend, but that's one of the greatest attempts of zonal denial I've seen. Of Forestfarm's offerings, Hazel Smith is the most hardy, but we're still talking about a zone 6 plant. Even at that zone, it's marginal.

I have several varieties of Sequoiadendron that I wouldn't mine cutting for you, but in the long run, I feel that you'd be frustrating yourself.

~Dave

trying to grow a giant sequoia for fun for the last 4 year.

===>>> I USED TO THINK BANGING MY HEAD ON A BRICK WALL WAS FUN TOO.. BUT EVENTUALLY I GAVE UP ... thank God you are doing it for fun.. lol ...

--------------

Out of about 20 seedlings planted in 2007 and 2008, only one remains alive. Most died during an unusual 2 week warm-up period in last february, followed by low temps. Otherwise, they went through some periods of -30C undamaged,

====>>>> in my z5 MI ... i am always hesitant to decide .. when the actual damage on an 'evergreen' tree .. actually occurs ... my theory.. that the suspended animation of frozen ground.. can allow an evergreen to remain a vibrant green .. long thru the following spring.. until perhaps the real heat of july hits ....

whether or not your plant 'died' during the warm spell.. or whether the damage occurred any other time.. shall remain a mystery for the ages ....

the damage.. could have occurred in late fall.. with a plant not really hardened off for winter.. and a very deep early hard freeze ...

it could have been damaged in summer with a drought.. or whatever.. and simply did not 'show' the damage until full freeze and that warm spell... etc..

perhaps you are right.. i am just trying to suggest that your presumptions as to damage or death.. MIGHT not be right...

i think gee tree farm also has a long term hazel smith near jackson MI .. full z5 ... they may also sell them.. and you might get one bigger than forest farm ... google them for a phone number.. they arent really website type peeps .... but get kary on the phone .... and you will have more info then you ever need ....

are you really a DR .. of dna???

good luck.. and keep trying.. as long as it is fun ...

ken

DrDna, have you considered Metasequoia? It is more cold hardy than its California cousin. Still a stretch for zone 4 so you will probably enjoy trying it.

Dave, if you're serious about that offer, then I might just take advantage of it. I'll let you know about it soon, I want to do some more research before and try to find some rooted specimen at an affordable price.

Ken, your theory is making a lot of sense, Thanks for your advice and your encouragement, I know very well that I'm stretching it thin and even almost impossibly but I'm a great optimist(Ok I'm stupid!) No I'm not a dr of dna, just your friendly neighbourhood dentist, I do have a minor in biology but that was 25 years ago. It's just a nickname from a long forgotten era...

Toronado, I tried Metasequoia and also Taxodium, Taxodium is still alive but it's still quite small.

Dan

You could buy buck seedlings from Western Evergreen already potted.

Jason's showing 300 1/4" caliper currently in stock.

Link Below.

Dax

Here is a link that might be useful: Western Evergreen

Hello all I have not been on here lately

Dr DNA,I have tried growing giant sequoia since 2004.I have had some success and plenty failures.I'm in 5b and it seems that dry spells in fall killed more trees than winter.So far I have a Hazel Smith @ 8ft 4in tall planted in 2004.Also a Glaucum @ 5-6 ft tall planted in 2006 if my memory is correct.I also would like to take cuttings from my trees but it would be my first try.I would much rather find someone who knows what they are doing try it in exchange for half the survivors.

Just out of curiosity, does it snow regularly in Giant Sequoia land? I mean, that's the Sierra Nevada range, correct? If so, I've answered my own question. I think the biggest single-event snow totals I've ever seen reported come from "Pineapple Express" moisture plumes heading into that region.

I have no intention of messing with them myself. I'm just interested in everything.

+oM

Yes it snows there Tom. LOTS. The Pacific Northwest and the mountains of the Cascades, Olympics and Sierra Nevadas(amongst others) collect huge amounts of snow each year. The mountains of Washington state generally hold most of the annual highs including the all-time record of some 90+ feet in one season. That said, the temps are very rarely in super cold range. Maybe at the upper range of the Sierra Nevadas temps sink into the -10 range but I know it is warmer there in Winter then parts of the Upper-midwest US.

Snow is probably a considerable source of Redwoods falling, especially once they reach huge sizes and the storm winds come in after snow.

-Will

Thanks Will. I'm a weather geek too, so I basically knew this already. I just like hearing about it!

I love Wisconsin, and my life is here, but were I to move for some reason, the PNW would get a long, hard look. In fact, my number two son is now based in Olympia WA so we have a nice reason for a visit. Hopefully, we can scrape up the necessary resources to accomplish that!

I remember watching the Weather Channel just a few years ago. They said that the Sierras in N. Cali were in for a 10-foot snowfall! I'd actually love to see stuff like that.

+oM

I will attempt to explain my theory on what it takes to grow a sequoia in zones colder than zone6.In my case zone 5.

Find a way to keep roots from drying out in late summer early fall.When a seedling is first planted the roots may be 1 foot deep,seeing that frost can penetrate to 3 feet( in my area) or more on a cold winter where bare ground does not get insulated with snow or some type of mulch.If your seedling doesn''nt have adequit moisture winter winds can finish drying it to death.If you can keep the seedling alive until it's roots grow deep enough to supply it with enough moisture.This may take 4-5 years or more.
I thought that just by burying the seedling under snow would keep it from drying out but I still lost some,so my thinking is that they were close to dead before the ground froze.

What I look for is a place where water pushing to the surface keeps the ground from freezing to a minimum.The soil should also be porous enough so soil is'nt swampy or water logged,finding such places is easier said than done.Or if you can water it regularly with hose or buckets will also work.selecting plants like Hazel Smith or other's that are extra hardy can't hurt either.

Like I said earlier this is how I was able to keep them alive,it may take a different approach in other zones or areas.Most of you know this already,so this is not a new discovery.I hope this helps anyone trying to grow a giant sequoia.