Yep, this is typical...conifers look like that for their first year. Don't try to speed them along.

one year??? really? that is bizzare! ok i will wait ... i was thinking that it was my fault... and after the first year, do you know it it will grow slow anyway? how much in a year??

Sciadopitys is painfully slow from seed! Not much that can be done to accelerate them.

Sciadopitys is notoriously slow, but these look like they need more light. Trunks very thin and curved. Some say more light can cause the seedlings to stretch and reach for the light, but I find the opposite. Truck becomes more stable an needles thicken.

They could also benefit from a low dose fertilizer. Something like foliage pro.

However, neither of those things will cause tremendous growth, it just helps form a better tree.

Hi!

Everything previous posters said is true. Congratulations for having them sprout well now you're in for the long wait. A friend of mine grew them from seed and gave one to me in 2012. He said he had them about three years already. Mine has started to branch just last year but still not exceeding 10cm! It is otherwise a very stout plant with very thick stem and all.. and vigorous grower in its own right it just doesn't get far..

Meanwhile I got one much larger about 120cm at the moment and it has grown significantly over last three years approximately 10cm a year.