Coastal Redwood insanity

So, I live in Northern California near a Redwood Forrest (Muir, to be exact -- just north of San Francisco). Anywho, while up there last time with friends from out of town I noticed they sold sapplings for $3 or so. I though, what the hell, let's try and bonsai it.

Has anyone tried this? Any suggestions? it's been in a nice pot for about 3 months now and seems to be doing fine, though it's not really growing much that I can tell (and before you point out that these trees live to be 2000 years old and therefore, one would think, would grow slowly, supposedly they grow to 20 or 30 feet quite rapidly).

I'm not worried so much about how fast it grows as much as how to keep it from growing too tall. Do I just keep hacking off the top every time I notice it going up? This tree is essentially a slender trunk with few branches. It is about 8 inches tall right now.

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ripsgreentree

Arron: I have had redwood, the coastal varity in a pot for over ten years. I reproduce it from sucker wood that will sprout from the trunk. I treat this wood like a cutting, rooting hormon and damp soil, also shade. I keep mine in a deeper pot that has restricted dranage, a normal tree would develop root rot and die but the redwood likes a damper invironment. I will prune new growth once or twice a year. I do not think that redwood makes good bonsai but a nursery that disagrees with me is......North Coast Bonsai. They are on the internet and you can see larger specimens and if you like purchase one or two.

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ripsgreentree

It requires an open hand to give and to recieve.

Magiver

I have a dawn redwood, i think it makes a good bonsai. its my favorite so far...

I just got 2 seedlings w/ my christmas three, they were also coastal redwood.... let me know if you have any tips for this species... thanks

ripsgreentree

Magiver: I have dawn redwood planted in the wettest part of our field, It is right in the draniage and is always wet to swampy. The dawn redwood seems to love it there and is growing profusly. It will be interesting to see how it deals with winter weather and water. Winter haas just staarted and I am already looking forward to spring. The temprature is falling but our cutting boxes are holding at 65degrees. If this works we will have several thousand rooted cuttings by spring. large quantities of olive, serissa, and shimpaku. In the very early spring we will add contorted elm, neray, sayjue, and catlin. It is going to be a very busy spring.

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ripsgreentree

It requires an open hand to give and to recieve.

Magiver

rip, i've made it a point to never let it dry out, and its doing good. dawn's require almost the same exact care as a bald cypress. Sounds like you are gonna have a fun spring!