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First Attempt: Oct 2011 - cut 3x burl sprouts. Training was in water rooting for a few weeks, then in Nov 2011 - potted. So this is my first Redwood burl sprout attempt. So my current limited understanding of Redwood trees is that sometimes, maybe when they're stressed and think they're not doing well and they need to spread out and diversify some, they send out these little shoots from the base of the trunk and the top of the roots. (Redwoods do weird cool stuff like take in moisture from the fog and grow these burl things.) In this, what seems like the world's smallest park, in Redwood City, CA, live three small Redwoods. They are always throwing these shoots. I guess the city trims them off every few months - so the trees look nice. Here we see the park's official sign, then the shape of the mother trees from across the street from the park. I cut three of these little shoots off and started to root them in water for a few weeks, and then potted them! [text for two pixs below]
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Above is the plan for a potting that will hopefully grow roots too. I didn't do the top layer of sphagnum on the actual trees. Below is the wiring and holes for wires and drainage plan for the pot. This is when I was planning on all three threes in in pot. [text for pix above and pix below]
Here the three trees are all potted up and seen the next day, watered, and in the light. The locally found moss is the killer touch - actually better than the trees at this point! Saucers hold water against the bottom of the pots; then all three pots are raised up (for light and visibility) in a big aluminum food keep warm serving dish - this collects the overflow water and keeps the trees slightly most as it evaporates. [text for two pixs below]
Cost so far: $1.06 per tree and ~35 min per tree.
Below, approximately three weeks after removal from the parent, approximately two weeks after planting -- they're not looking well. (They are indoors and not getting much light either.) [text for pix below]
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Second Attempt: Dec 12, 2011 - Last week grabbed a handful of Redwood shoots from the same trees again. This time just dipped into the rooting powder and into chopstick drilled holes. They're under a plant light now! Currently it's set to 4 hours in the AM and then another 4 in the PM. We'll see what happens. [text for pix below]
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Third Attempt: Jan 2012 - New idea: This time after they root I'm going to sphagnum moss the root ectoplasm while spread underwater. Following picture is in my newer cube at work. You can kind of see three remaining trees from attempt #2 (red arrows); these are the smallest of the attempt #2 batch and the only ones remaining. Six new cuttings (blue arrow) are in a small glass mug with a little support via chopstick and wire. [text for pix below]
Bottom center is the glass with the baby redwoods where you can see the roots!
(Note that while not shown, the glass was wrapped in reflective foil.) Bottom
right is a work in progress first pot: wire connected at bottom and on rim,
multiple drainage holes too. In this pix it's sitting in another container so
that there's water in the pot. Then I laid down some soaked sphagnum, under
and around the roots, all while underwater. After that I slowly add in the soil.
At this point my soil mix is: small lava rock, small river rock, diatomaceous
(sp?!) earth (cat litter), some others I forgot, and a bit of coconut husk.
At the top in the large tray are two newly potted trees. (Sphagnum moss off
to the right, soil mix in box on left too.) [text for pix above]
Here it is the next day. Five little round plastic pots with baby redwood trees in 'em. Ran out of time to do the sixth (you can see the soaking sphagnum in the white styrofoam container though.) Think I prob killed the first - those roots are really delicate. Also my plant light died... I'm liking these so far now - nice sideways going roots, but the base of the trunk which was underwater looks a little black and rotty. [text for pix above]
Now you see six Redwoods in their training pots with Bonsai soil. Higher buds pinched or cut to encourage lower shoots to grow. Some minal trainning underway to get downward oriented branches. (Seventh container in the back left is the glass mug wherein are (hopefully) rooting ornimental fruit trees.) New tray as the previous one developed a pin-hole leak Also this soil mix, indoors, especially with the Spagnuim on top, holds mosture really well, so just a little water works. [text for pix above]
Here the pix are getting redundant. This is July 12, 2012