Sequoia Sempervirens Dying?

supa_stench

Hi all,

Having some problems with a Coastal Redwood that I planted last September. Tips of the needles are going brown, see pictures.

I watered this tree whenever there wasn't sufficient rainfall over the winter and at no stage was it ever allowed to dry out. Soil is ph neutral and I would have planted it with a mixture of soil and peat with loads of loose soil for roots to develop.

On the same site I have plenty of Giant Redwoods and Dawn Redwoods as well as Swamp Cypress which are all doing well. This is my third attempt at establishing a Coastal Redwood having already failed with two much smaller seedlings early last year.

I know people will says the brown needles are from a lack of water but remember that it was only planted last September so surely couldn't have dried out over the winter?

If anyone has any experience of getting Sequoia Sempervirens established i would be very interested as to how they have done it as I'm struggling!!

Thanks

John

mountainy man

I have one that is planted three years now and suffers a little browning which I put down to wind burn/desiccation but quickly shrugs it off in the spring. yours being only planted last september it will not have established its roots as yet and combined with that cold easterly we had a while back its looking a bit sorry for itself, that bronze colour to the leaves is a reaction to the cold. They don't like to sit in wet soil and I have mound planted mine within a small circle of stones filled with soil and it seems happy. I hope this helps and it pulls through, they are an interesting tree. I have a couple of metasequoia cultivars planted nearby they love all the water they can get like the swamp cypress does.

gozunda

Careful with the watering - its unlikely that any soil in Ireland had a moisture deficit this winter.

A waterlogged soil will deprive young roots of air and cause young trees to fail. Get a simple stick moisture meter if in any doubt.