Dawn Redwood Tree: Frost Damage or Redwood Canker????
Sue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh
4 years ago
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Sue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Metasequoia / Dawn Redwood
Comments (6)First thing to do is to be sure whether the "old" tree is dead - try scratching lightly on the bark on the branches. If there is a green layer under the bark - the cambium layer - then the branch is alive, just leafless (needle-less?). You can wait, and see what happens, for a bit longer, since the tree may still leaf out. It also may not, since even though the branches are now alive, they may be in decline. If the cambium is brown or grey as you get out to the ends of branches, that's not necessarily the kiss of death, but it's also not really good. If it looks like the freeze damaged the very ends of branches, but the rest of the branch is recovering, the "old" tree may well come back. The die-back may have been severe enough, maybe, that the whole of a branch, and maybe the tree, will die back slowly, until all gone. It may be that I am being overly pessimistic, and it will recover. If you want to wait, you can either cut off the new shoot or let it continue to grow, in case you might need it as a replacement. If you are sure the tips of branches are dead, you can carefully prune them off. I think I would wait until you are SURE what's dead or not, until you get new growth showing, and then trim off the dead ends - it's easier to tell how far is enough, too much or not enough. You can also not wait, and decide that whether the "old" tree comes back or not, you don't WANT the wait. That being the case, you can cut off the "old" tree at about ground level - as close to the new shoot as possible, without damaging it - and let the new shoot become the tree. Since it has - hopefully - a good root system already in place, it should grow pretty fast into a new tree. If it looks like the branch structure of the "old" tree was damaged by the freeze, and it won't be especially atttractive if it does live and leaf out, this option may, in fact, be the best one. Hope you are less confused now, and can decide on something!...See MoreDawn Redwood Trees
Comments (9)its hard to believe.. but this is a conifer that losses its leaves ... go figure on that .... they grow like weed in my z5 .... but get hit hard by late hard frosts in spring.. sometimes losing all its spring growth 2 or three times each spring ... but always coming back.. and growing aggressively ... frankly this is one hardy tree ... in my z 5 ... and if resin says its OK in z4 .. so be it.. find something else to worry about ... leaf fall is normal ... ken...See MoreFrost damage on Dawn Redwood
Comments (3)i wouldnt go scratching around on something this small .... just give them time ... i have two ... one is about 5 feet lower down the hill than the other ... the lowest being near the lowest part of the yard ... they were 4 footers when planted ... now both are about 15 ... the lower one get frosted once or twice per year ... the intervening 2 or 3 weeks before releaf is maddening.. and they surely look dead ... but they always bounce back ... one would think the higher one.. which only gets frosted every other year or so .. would be significantly bigger.. yet it remains the smaller .... in my pure sand... i tend to think the lower one gets more water to the roots in rain storms... than the one higher on the hill ... who knows ... i am sure they are seedlings.. so the growth rate difference could be genetic.. who knows.. just give them another month ... good luck ken...See MoreDawn Redwood Damaging House Foundation?
Comments (7)Here is a pic from 0ctober of 06 from the Missouri Botanical Garden. That's my wife looking annoyed at me for taking yet another pic with her in it "for scale". This Dawn Redwood was probably planted near 1950 and has been left with its lowest branches on. Its in a grove of them and its lower branches still receive some shade. I don't think it would ruin the tree's appearance to trim these a bit or to limb it up but that's all opinion. 10 feet does seem a little close. Doubt you'd have roots visible in your basement but can you do 15 or 20 feet? Either way a pyramidal growing Metasequoia is a better choice than the 3 white ash planted 50 years ago about 15 feet from three corners of my house....See MoreSue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh
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