Dawn redwood potting advice

[Alex_B]

Hi All,

So I recently discovered today I may have been feeding my dawn redwood a bit too much as I discovered the roots have now completely (as much as I can see anyway) overwhelmed the pot.

I didnt think this would happen this quickly as I only got the tree less than a year ago and I put it into a larger pot once I got it.

So my question is what should I do with this tree? The foliage looks good on top and the roots look healthy so its not as if it is looking bad or anything. However, I'm not sure whether I should repot it or just leave it and feed it less to hold the growth a bit.

I imagine its probably too late to do a root prune but the tree definitely needs one so its more about looking after it until I can give it a root prune.

Any advice would be super helpful.

[Watto]

Alex, a photo would be helpful if you could manage one?

[Stu]

I keep mine in a tray of water once it has leafed out (which it has now). This would help it get through summer with a crowded root system.
I agree it is a bit late to root prune now. I go hard on mine and roots grow back quickly. If you are really worried pot it into a larger pot without root pruning then prune next winter.
btw it sounds like you have been feeding well.

[Alex_B]

Alex, a photo would be helpful if you could manage one?

Unfortunately I can't take a photo of the roots. The tree has fallen over a few times in the intense wind we have been having lately in Melbourne and some of the soil had come out of the pot so I had to add some new soil to it which is how I noticed the root ball.

I managed to remove some of the top soil that had hardened a bit which allowed me to add some more soil to the bottom of the pot so the roots could move around a bit more but it isn't a lot more soil.

I keep mine in a tray of water once it has leafed out (which it has now). This would help it get through summer with a crowded root system.
I agree it is a bit late to root prune now. I go hard on mine and roots grow back quickly. If you are really worried pot it into a larger pot without root pruning then prune next winter.
btw it sounds like you have been feeding well.

A tray of water might work well actually. I have noticed it drinks a hell of a lot of water but I've always been a bit hesitant to leave it in a tray as I don't want to over water it or not allow air circulation through the roots.

I have been feeding it once a week which seems to have worked well for it. I just had a look through some photos when I first got it and it looks as if the trunk has at least doubled in size, so perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised the roots have grown so much haha.

I think I might try keeping it in a tray of water and see how that goes, if I notice it looks likes its struggling I can always repot it. Sounds like dawn redwoods require root pruning yearly.

When do you usually root prune yours? I know one should generally root prune as the first buds start coming up but I'm not sure if its different for dawn redwoods.

[shibui]

I root prune my dawn redwoods in late winter. It does not really matter if 'first buds are opening'. Any time after mid winter and new shoots opening is Ok for us in mild climates.
Dawn redwood seems to be similar to swamp cypress in their love for water and they seem to cope well with a shallow tray of water through summer. You will probably find the roots grow out through drain holes into the water tray. Extra roots should give even more trunk growth and they can be trimmed off any time you like without upsetting the tree.

If you can get it out of the pot to add extra soil I doubt the tree will be so root bound to be a problem even if you have been feeding lots. I have been repotting mine every 2-3 years in the growing phase. Root growth does slow as they get a bit older like most other species.

[Alex_B]

I root prune my dawn redwoods in late winter. It does not really matter if 'first buds are opening'. Any time after mid winter and new shoots opening is Ok for us in mild climates.
Dawn redwood seems to be similar to swamp cypress in their love for water and they seem to cope well with a shallow tray of water through summer. You will probably find the roots grow out through drain holes into the water tray. Extra roots should give even more trunk growth and they can be trimmed off any time you like without upsetting the tree.

If you can get it out of the pot to add extra soil I doubt the tree will be so root bound to be a problem even if you have been feeding lots. I have been repotting mine every 2-3 years in the growing phase. Root growth does slow as they get a bit older like most other species.

Thanks for the help Neil! Sounds like a tray of water is the way to go especially as it starts getting hotter. Hopefully the tree will be alright until I can root prune it. I am just so surprised with how fast it has grown, especially the root system.