Durango Bill's
Giant Sequoias
Growing Giant Sequoias near Durango, Colorado
This web page is a log of the author’s “horticultural experiment” to
get a grove of Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) trees to grow adjacent to the author’s
home some 6 linear miles west of Durango, Colorado. Hopefully, this log
will also help others (e.g. provide a “how to” guide) who might be
interested in growing Giant Sequoias.
No, the author’s Giant Sequoia trees aren’t this big . . . yet.
The above photograph shows a real cabin (now a museum) in the Mariposa
Grove in Yosemite National Park. Credit should be given to Charles
Webber © California Academy of Sciences. The original photograph and
photographs of other Giant Sequoias can be seen at:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-lifeform=any&rel-taxon=equals&where-taxon=Sequoiadendron+giganteum
At one time, Sequoias were native to Colorado as per the picture below
which shows a fossilized stump of a Sequoia in Florissant Fossil Beds
National Monument. (About 185 miles northeast of the author’s home.)
The picture is courtesy of the NPS - the original photo can be seen at:
http://www.nps.gov/imr/customcf/apps/pgallery/photo.cfm?pid=2627&aid=442&gid=442
From http://www.nps.gov/parkoftheweek/flfo.htm :
“The massive petrified Sequoia stumps at Florissant are some of the largest diameter petrified trees in the world.”
They were probably still living in Colorado up to 7 million years ago,
but changes in weather patterns brought about by the “ice ages” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleistocene and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaternary)
finished them off in the local area. As of now, their only native
habitat is restricted to several dozen small groves on the western
slope of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sequoia_groves
The side effects of climate change and pollution (e.g. ozone) are
beginning to threaten their existence in these last groves in the
Sierras. (Please see “The IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species - Sequoiadendron giganteum” at http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/34023
) There are multiple locations around the world where they have been
introduced, and seem be living OK. If the author’s efforts are
successful, perhaps we can add “Successfully reintroduced to Colorado”
to this list.
The sections below give more information about:
1) Local climate/Growing conditions for the “Giant Sequoia experiment”
2) Links to Internet sources for information about growing Giant Sequoias
3)
The “Horticultural experiment” - a log of the author’s efforts to grow
Giant Sequoias from seeds as well as seedlings purchased from
commercial nurseries
Local climate/Growing conditions
Elevation: 7,400 feet above sea level
Average winter nighttime temperature is about 5 to 10 degrees F with
extreme lows down to 10 below F. (USDA Zone 6) Daytime summer temperatures
average in the low 80’s with extreme highs near or slightly above 90
degrees F. Precipitation averages 23 to 24 inches per year (Local
10-year average measurement by the author - Giant Sequoias normally prefer
double this amount.) May and June are dry with average rainfall of
about one inch each while July, Aug., and Sept. average about 2.5
inches each.*
The ground is usually snow-covered from early-mid December
through mid-late March. Humidity is low throughout the year with
summertime dewpoints rarely above 55 degrees F. Winds are mostly light which is important during the critical winter season.
The last frost in spring is usually late May while the first frost in the fall is about late September.
*Climate
change (global warming) appears to be changing previous precipitation
patterns. Winter snowfall may tend to become lighter while the summer
“monsoon” is a local phenomenon that may be expanding its time extent.
(e.g. Historical records show that July used to be drier than what has
been observed recently.)
Seasonal distribution of average precipitation
Location
Jan Feb Mar Apr
May Jun Jul Aug
Sep Oct Nov Dec Tot
SNP-GF31
7.48 7.70 6.65 4.77 1.79 0.43
0.11 0.17 0.44 1.55 4.10 7.91 43.11
SNP-GF61
6.43 6.19 5.88 5.18 1.71 0.40
0.08 0.42 0.66 1.40 6.43 7.23 42.01
Durango
2.32 2.10 1.96 1.95 1.08 0.66
2.58 2.59 2.48 2.19 1.95 1.72 23.57
Notes
SNP_GF31 = Sequoia National Park - Giant Forest - Avg. from 1931 to 1968
SNP-GF61 = Sequoia National Park - Giant Forest - Avg. from 1961 to 1990
http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?cagian+sca
(Most Sequoia groves have an underground water supply for the dry summer.)
Durango
= The author’s 10-year measurements 6 miles west of Durango. This
location will be wetter and cooler than other local measurements from
valley locations - including observations taken downtown and at the
Durango airport. Averages will change with time.
Native vegetation
Primarily Ponderosa Pine ( http://coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Trees/pndrosa.htm ),
Gamble Oak ( http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Trees/gamble.htm ),
some Juniper ( http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Trees/juniper2.htm ),
and open meadows. Shady moist areas have a few native Aspen Trees.
Soil conditions
Local soil is derived from layers of shale and sandstone. The trees
will be growing in decomposed shale which tends to form a very hard,
dry clay. Soil pH is probably slightly alkaline (but not measured). (For example, see: http://www.sanjuanmountainnurseries.com/faqs.php?id=2 ) Giant Sequoias prefer soil that is neutral to slightly acidic. The
local terrain slopes toward the north and east, and is well drained.
Additional information for growing Giant Sequoias
The following websites have additional information for anyone interested in growing Giant Sequoias.
Grow them yourself
http://giantsequoias.blogspot.com/
http://www.treedazzled.com/shoot/2005/05/growing_giant_s.html
http://www.redwoodworld.co.uk/growing.htm
http://trees.martinsvillenj.com/gsseedsummary.htm
Books
http://www.sequoiahistory.org/books/booktree.htm
Nurseries (if you want to order seeds, seedlings via the Internet)
Welker’s Grove Nursery (best source for seedlings) http://www.giant-sequoia.com/homepage/ and http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZkylerkris
http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/SeedlistSA-SH.htm Best seed price (Packet = 100 to 500 seeds)
Also
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=%22giant+sequoia%22&category0=
http://www.plumcreektrees.com/ShowProduct.aspx?ProductID=85
http://www.datreestore.com/
http://www.nwplants.com/plants/trees/seq_seq_gig_index.htm
(Note:
If you are thinking of buying seedlings, “bare root” shipping to reduce
shipping costs will greatly reduce the probability that the seedlings
will survive.)
General information on Giant Sequoias (Cultivation, Horticulture, etc.)
http://www.rngr.net/Publications/tpn/32/32_2_3_8.pdf/file
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Sequoiadendron+giganteum
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/sequoiadendron/giganteum.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoiadendron
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/science/hartesveldt/contents.htm
And remember, for more information: “Google is your friend”
The “Horticultural Experiment”
Oct. 4, 2007
While on a vacation trip that included a visit to Sequoia National
Park, I caught a case of “Giant Sequoia Fever”. While browsing through
a gift shop at one of the visitor centers in Sequoia National Park, I
noticed that they were selling seed packets with the following headline:
“From this tiny seed
The world’s largest tree can grow
Grow your own Giant Sequoia”
Package by Sequoia Natural History Association
The seed packets were “talking to me”. The local climate west of
Durango, Colorado is similar to that in Sequoia National Park except
total precipitation averages about 23-24 inches per year (10-year
average as measured by the author) instead of the very heavy winter
precipitation in the Sierras. Our local native vegetation is
predominantly Ponderosa Pine Trees which I also noticed were adjacent
to some of the Giant Sequoia groves in the park. I was wondering:
“Would it be possible to grow Giant Sequoias at home?”
I bought a seed packet with “Approximately 50 sequoia seeds”,
growing instructions, etc. The “horticultural experiment” began.
Mid to late Oct. 2007
After
returning home from my vacation trip, I searched the Internet for
information, growing instructions, etc. for Giant Sequoias. This
included nurseries for supplies/pots.
Nov. 5, 2007
Ordered 100 more Sequoia seeds from eBay store “Bergs Enterprizes”. The seeds arrived Nov. 14, 2007
http://stores.ebay.com/Bergs-Enterprizes
Ordered sixty one-gal pots from http://www.greenhousemegastore.com
My
game plan for the seeds is to give them a controlled “man made winter”
and germinate them in the spring. (Buzzword is “stratification”.)
Nov. 11, 2007
Ordered five 8-12 inch seedlings from eBay store “PJC98's unique trees and shrubs”. http://stores.ebay.com/PJC98s-unique-trees-and-shrubs This was an attempt to have a few Giant Sequoia trees that had a 2-year head start on my seeds.
Nov. 17, 2007
The five seedlings
arrived from PJC98 - plants looked healthy but were shipped “bare
root”. (Soil had been washed away from the roots to reduce shipping
costs.) I have my fingers crossed about the bare roots. Planted them
outdoors that afternoon. Used “Hyponex, Eco, and Miracle-Gro” potting
mixes for “nest” material. 2 gallons of water (for each) were poured
into seedling nests.
Locations - Approximate Lat. Lon. (and direction from deck) Elevation - about 7,400+ feet.
G.S. 1) 37.26488 N 107.98291 W NNE - subsequently died
G.S.
2) 37.26482 N 107.98285 W NE -
subsequently died - replaced by 29.5-inch tall Welker’s tree on July 9,
2008
G.S. 3) 37.26473 N 107.98273 W ENE - subsequently died
G.S.
4) 37.26451 N 107.98280 W SSE -
subsequently died - replaced by 36-inch tall Welker’s tree on Aug. 10, 2008
G.S.
5) 37.26438 N 107.98303 W S -
subsequently died - replaced by 30.5-inch tall Welker’s tree on July 9,
2008
Nov. 23, 2007
First snow - about 5 inches.
Dec. 1, 2007
Heavy rain, some snow.
Dec. 7, 2007
More
rain and wet snow. Seedlings were bent over from wet snow. The snow was
removed from each seedling and snow was piled up around seedlings to
help them remain upright from subsequent snows. Most of the seedlings had
significant discoloration including browning.
Dec. 9, 2007
Six inches of snow. Seedlings mostly buried.
Dec. 11, 2007
Another snow. If the seedlings weren’t buried before, they are now.
Dec. 15, 2007
Temperature is 2 below. Seedlings covered by snow.
Dec. 28, 2007
Temperature this morning is 8 below. Seedlings covered by snow.
Feb. 4, 2008
Snow depth reaches a maximum of 46 inches. Snow measurements indicate ground is not frozen underneath the snow.
Feb 17, 2008
I
started the “stratification” process for the seeds from Bergs
Enterprizes and “Grow your own”. Soaked all seeds for 9 hours
(overnight) in cool water. Used Hydration Station water (purified
water) for all operations until seeds were in pots. “Grow your own”
advertised “Approximately 50 sequoia seeds” - actual count was 83.
Bergs Enterprizes advertised 100 seeds. Actual count was 100.
Feb 18, 2008
Slightly
dampened “sandwiches” of paper towels with seeds in middle. Both seed
batches were placed in 3.5 x 6 x 12 inch plastic boxes. The top of each
batch was lightly sprayed with Schultz’s Fungicide, and each batch was
placed in the refrigerator. Boxes had ventilation holes, and tops were
left slightly ajar - then checked seeds daily for germination/moisture.
Additional information on starting Giant Sequoias from seeds can be found at:
http://www.rngr.net/Publications/tpn/32/32_2_3_8.pdf/file
March 27, 2008
Snow
cover finally gone from one of the bare root Giant Sequoia seedlings.
Others still buried. Tree is folded over from snow burial and upper
branches may be dead. Lower branches are partially green. All branches
are bent from snow burial.
April 1, 2008
All 5 of the bare root seedlings have emerged from the snow. It is questionable at best if any of them will survive.
April 6, 2008
All
5 bare root seedlings look like they are not alive. Subsequent checks
showed that none had survived, and thus all efforts defaulted to the
seeds. (The bare root seedlings probably never had a chance to survive
the winter. They may have done better if I planted/started them in warm
weather when the roots could adapt.)
Small fungus spots on paper
towels in “Grow Your Own” seed box. Replaced paper towels and sprayed
both boxes with more fungicide.
April 18, 2008
Removed
plastic boxes from refrigerator. Kept slightly damp in dark area at
room temperature. As seeds germinated, carefully removed them (didn’t
touch root) from boxes/paper towels and planted them about 1/4 - 3/8 inch
deep in pots. (One-gal. nursery containers.) Pots were filled with
“Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix” with a “nest” of Perlite.
Pots were initially placed in bright areas indoors but with minimal
direct sunlight. Pots were watered whenever the surface (Perlite
nest) began to dry.
April 30, 2008
So
far 36 “Grow your own” seeds have germinated and 30 Bergs Enterprizes
seeds have germinated. Bergs seeds are running a few days behind the
“Grow your own” seeds. All that have germinated have been planted in
pots. Most were planted in small “nests” of Perlite with the rest of
the pot filled with potting soil. A few were planted in just the
potting soil.
May 2, 2008
4 more Bergs seeds moved to pots. Total of 70 pots so far. Plan on moving them outdoors to the tent on Sunday, May 4.
The
picture to the right shows the white, yellow, and blue temporary
“greenhouse”. The Welker trees (see below) were subsequently planted in
the open meadow in the background. A significant number of the seedling
crop will also be eventually planted in the same meadow.
May 4, 2008
Last
4 of Berg’s seeds planted. Rest of seeds discarded. Total germination
was 36 out of 83 for “Grow your own” and 38 out of 100 for Berg’s. Most
seedlings moved to camping tent today. Have “heat tape” wound through
pots in tent ready to plug in for cold nights.
As seedlings break the surface, I moved them outdoors into an
ordinary 8’ x 9’ (yellow, blue, and white) camping tent. Tent provided
shading from direct sun, protects them from late frosts, and has easy
access and ventilation. Tent is in full sunlight, has open mesh top
(but with cover) with door to north - open during daylight hours. May
temperatures are frequently near freezing at night.
May 17, 2008
As of this date there were 68 seedlings growing in the tent.
May 23/24, 2008
The tent
partially collapsed from 3.6 inches of wet snow. It would have totally
collapsed if I hadn’t placed two card tables inside the tent earlier in
anticipation of snow. At first glance all 68 seedlings look OK.
May 25, 2008
Seedlings/pots
moved from tent to underneath a pine tree. (Gamble Oak is next to
seedlings.) Tent cleaned and stored for future use.
May 26, 2008
Left for vacation trip. A neighbor (Carrie Slifka) watered seedlings while I was away.
June 23, 2008
Returned from vacation trip. Seedlings are in pretty good shape - moved them out into brighter light but still lightly shaded.
June 25, 2008
Ordered
two premium Giant Sequoias from Welker’s Grove Nursery.
http://www.giant-sequoia.com/homepage/
Trees are 3 years old, which means I’ll have something of reasonable
size 3 years sooner than what I’ll get from the seeds. (Joe
Welker/Welker’s Grove Nursery also sells via eBay at
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZkylerkris )
June 30, 2008
Giant Sequoias are shipped from Welker’s Grove Nursery via Priority Mail.
July 3, 2008
Giant
Sequoias arrive. Shipping box was beaten-up “a bit”. Each Giant Sequoia
had a support stake, but one support stake was completely broken and
the other was badly splintered but still in one piece. Giant Sequoias are
OK. Moved Giant Sequoias outside to light shade area next to seedlings.
(They were in a dark box for at least 3 days, and the idea was to let
them gradually get used to light again.) Replaced broken support stakes
with “tomato support stakes”.
July 4, 2008
Started
preparation of planting sites for Welker's two Giant Sequoias. Each will be
planted in a nest/basin. The soil immediately outside the root-ball
area will be potting soil. Then a ~1.5 foot radius will consist of the
following layers. (from the undisturbed ground on up) Potting soil, original dirt from
nest/basin excavation, thin plastic layer using plastic trash bags
(liberally punctured to let rain through), a thin layer of gravel, and
finally a Red Cedar bark mulch on top. The idea is to favor root growth
several inches below the surface, and let rain water in but retard
surface evaporation.
July 5, 2008
Took
photos of the Giant Sequoias. Giant Sequoias from Welker’s Nursery are
3-years old (2005 seedlings) and about 30 inches high. Moved the two
Giant Sequoias to sunnier area. (Welker’s Grove Nursery is highly recommended
for the quality of the trees, speedy shipping, reasonable price, etc.)
Fastest
growing seedlings are about 2 inches high with some already developing
branches. Total surviving seedling count is 65. I expect that some of
the “runts” won’t make it. The “white stuff” on the soil surface is
particles of Perlite which by now have been well scattered by periodic
watering.
The
above photo shows the entire inventory of Giant Sequoia trees as of
July 5, 2008. The seedlings are gradually being moved into greater
sunshine.
July 7, 2008
Late this afternoon I planted the
two Giant Sequoias that came from Welker’s Grove Nursery.
http://www.giant-sequoia.com/homepage/ The diagram below is a
schematic diagram of how they were planted. Thoroughly soaked each tree
immediately after all layers were complete.
G
I
A
N
T
Tree branches
S
E
Q
Tree branches U Tree branches
O
Rim
for
nest/basin
I
Rim for nest/basin
Rim
for
nest/basin
A
Rim for nest/basin
Undisturbed ground Mulch
Potting Original Potting
Mulch Undisturbed ground
/|\
Gravel soil
root soil
Gravel /|\
|
Film Potting ball
Potting
Film |
| Loose
dirt soil
(came) soil Loose
dirt |
Undisturbed
Loose dirt P.S.
(from) P.S. Loose
dirt Undisturbed
ground Potting
soil
(pot)
Potting soil ground
|
<- - - - - - - - Potting soil - - - - - - - - -
-> |
\|/ <- -
- - - - - - Potting soil - - - - - - - - -
-> \|/
<- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Undisturbed ground - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ->
<- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Undisturbed ground - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ->
The
rim was constructed so that buckets of water could be poured into the
nest/basin, and it would all have to soak down into the soil around the
tree. Diameter of rim was about 5 feet.
Mulch = Red Cedar mulch
Gravel = A thin layer of loose stones/gravel
Film
= A plastic film from an ordinary trash bag with many slits cut into
it. The idea is to let rain water through but to block evaporation from
the ground underneath.
Loose dirt = Dirt that was excavated to make
the nest/basin and then replaced. The plan is to encourage the tree to
develop its root system just under this layer.
Potting soil = This
is the zone where the tree should develop its root system - especially
the layer several inches down under the loose dirt layer.
July 8, 2008
Took
photos of the Giant Sequoias in their new home - to record “The early
days”. The Giant Sequoia to the east of the house is about 29 ½ inches
tall while the Giant Sequoia to the south of the house is about 30 ½
inches tall. Each day (or every other day at worst) each Giant Sequoia
got a bucket (2 gallons) of water. (Thirsty little monsters.) Drainage
is not a problem as each is on slope.
July 15, 2008
Warm
weather fertilization plan. Every 2nd week (1st and 15th of each
month), each Giant Sequoia will be fertilized using the following
mixture. Add one tablespoon of regular Miracle-Gro (24-8-16) and one
tablespoon
of Miracle-Gro for acid loving plants* (30-10-10) to a two gallon
bucket of water. Each Giant Sequoia gets a full bucket. (Alternately,
two tablespoons per bucket of Miracle-Gro Evergreen Tree & Shrub
Food (28-10-10) should work just as well.) They got their first dose
today. First
fertilizer application (each year) will be June 1. Last fertilizer
application (each year) will be Aug. 1. (Cut-off date will let trees
start getting ready for winter dormancy.)
One’s imagination sometimes gets carried away as Scotts Miracle-Gro
advertises: “Grow plants twice as big!” (As trees grow larger in the
future they will get multiple buckets, but
after 5 years or so they will have to make it on their own.)
*Actual
ingredient used was Miracid which is the old name for Miracle-Gro for
acid loving plants. The ingredients (including acidic content) are
identical and Miracle-Gro recommended Miracid for “all evergreens”.
Both
Giant Sequoias have grown about an inch, and both have many new shoots
beginning to grow - including from the main trunk just above ground
level. Overall they look “happy”.
Aug. 10, 2008
Won
an eBay auction for another 3-year old Giant Sequoia from Welker’s
Grove Nursery. The two earlier trees from Welker continue to look
healthy. One of them had a double top. (Right tree in the first Welker
photo.) One of these tops was clipped off and currently is in a pot in
an attempt to root it. The seedlings (see photo below) are separating into groups of fast
growers (3 to 4 inches high), slow growers, others that probably won’t
make it, and casualties. (Casualties include several that deer sampled
before they concluded they weren’t too enthused about them. There have
been several recent mountain lion sightings within a few miles -
including in downtown Durango. I may start rooting for the cats as they prey on deer.)
The above photo shows the fastest growing seedlings as of Aug. 16, 2008.
Aug. 16, 2008
The
new 36-inch tall Welker tree was shipped on Aug. 11, 2008 and arrived late on Aug.
14. As per usual with Welker’s Grove Nursery, it’s a great looking tree
and arrived in good shape. (e. g. Rootball still was still damp.) It
was thoroughly watered and given mostly shade on Aug. 15 (to recover
gradually from a dark box), and about 5 hours of direct sunlight on
Aug. 16. Late on the 16th it was planted in an area that gets full
sunlight. Planting methodology was similar to the earlier trees except
I didn’t bother with the gravel layer.
The first two Welker
trees appear happy in their new home. They have grown a few inches
vertically, have active growth on all branches, and even have large
numbers of new shoots sprouting from the trunk as low as two inches
above the soil level. So far there’s minimal if any “brownout” on the
older branches/trunk, but brownout is expected to begin in the not too
distant future as nighttime temperatures are already dipping into the
40s.
The
trees were subjected to their first hailstorm today with brief hail to
5/8 inch diameter. A couple of small twigs were broken off the first
two Welker trees, and one of the seedlings was split. Overall, they
faired pretty well. The new Welker tree hadn’t been planted yet, and
the author dashed outside to move it under cover before the larger
hailstones fell. They will have to get use to occasion hail storms as
the local area tends to be “hail city”.
Oct. 13, 2008
55
of the original seedlings are still growing in pots although growth has
stopped for the year. They are currently back in the tent undergoing a
gradual winterization. (On cold nights the tent is covered with a tarp
and the heat tape is plugged in.) Their temperature environment will be
gradually reduced to the 35 to 45 degree range, and about Nov.1 they
will be moved into the garage for the winter. They will be placed in a
sheltered area, and the heat tape (see tent, above) will be used to
keep them slightly above freezing. (Temperature will be monitored.) A
“grow light” will be used for minimal lighting (normal daylight hours -
via a timer), and they will be watered occasionally just so they don’t
dry out.
The three 3-year old trees from Welker will of course
have to spend the winter outside. “Tomato/plant stakes” have been
inserted around the periphery of each tree, and eventually plastic
trash bags will be placed over the stakes (and tree) to help protect
the trees from cold winds and heavy winter snow. The north side of each
bag will be left open. The purpose will be to prevent the trees from
being bent by winter snow and shade them from winter sunshine. (Note: A
completely closed bag could get too warm during daylight hours.)
Also,
the ground within a 2 foot radius of the trees has be protected from
early winter cold by covering it with cut branches from a large Juniper
bush. (The temperature on Oct. 13 got down to 15 degrees.) It’s a long
winter here, and the ground on shaded north-facing slopes usually
freezes about the first week in November. (The Juniper bush is actually
an “ugly”, nondescript looking bush, and the @#$%^&* thing needed
major trimming anyway.)
The 3 Welker trees still look healthy
although they are not as bright a green as they were during warmer
weather. So far there hasn’t been any winter discoloration (brown, red,
purple colors) although this may show up later.
Finally, a year
ago, my wife bought a seed package with a mixture of Giant Sequoia and
Coast Redwoods seeds. She hasn’t done anything with it and has said
that I can use it. I don’t have much hope for the Coast Redwood seeds
(Coast Redwoods couldn’t survive in the local climate), but will run
another stratification/germination sequence for these seeds this winter
to see what happens.
Nov. 10, 2008
First
significant snow - about 5 inches. The 55 Giant Sequoia seedlings are
safe and sound for the winter in a sheltered area under a stairway
adjacent to the garage. They are in their own private indoor greenhouse
completely enclosed by a tarp. (Perhaps “bluehouse” might be a better
name.) In any case their temperature will be held in the 35 to 45
degree range for the winter. They get several hours of artificial light
per day (controlled by a timer), and the heat tape is wound
around/through them if/when it starts to get too cold. They will need
water about every 2 weeks through the winter, but will be checked
weekly.
The three (outdoor) Welker trees have been mulched for
the winter. They have a slight browning on their south and southwest
sides due to a combination of sunshine, our normal low humidity, and
several nights of temperatures that have already hit the single digits.
Overall they appear to be in pretty good shape. The snow arrived sooner
than expected so I haven’t put up their “trash bag roofs” yet (see
above), but I’ll have these in place before full winter sets in.
About April 15, 2009
Seedlings
will be returned to the tent environment to reintroduce them to
outdoors. All cold weather provisions for the Welker trees will be
removed.
About Nov. 1, 2009
Plant
Giant Sequoia seedlings in the ground ready for winter. The first 15 (+/-) will form the
“local grove” (in the Green Belt in our development) and give the rest
away. (Alternately, I may keep them in the garage for a 2nd winter.)
Any extras will also go into the “local grove” to offset possible “casualties”. Spacing will be 30 or more feet apart.
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