Subject: Cost Redwood Sequoia Sempervirens

From: [email-masked] ("Douglas Fontaine")
Date: Mon, 18 Sep 1995 23:45:18 GMT

Whilst on holiday in California I purchased twelve Redwood seeds, I think 
that they are Sequoia Sempervirens, they come from the coast Big Sur 
area, one of the twelve has germinated, and is growing well.

Can anyone advise me on the best way of looking after it? I live in Essex 
England. The climate is temperate, however we do get frosts in the winter 
but not often below -5c. Will it survive outside?

The soil I’m using for it is a mixture of, 50% garden soil, 25 organic 
compost, and 25% composted manure.
 I understand that the Trees are best suited to a soil which is neutral 
towards acid, is this the case? My garden soil is neutral towards 
alkaline however by diluting it as mentioned I’m think that it should be 
OK, what do you think?

Unfortunately my garden is very small so I’m hoping to grow the tree 
until it gets to a size that it can survive being eaten by rabbits and 
then transplant it to my uncles garden in Scotland.

Scotland can get pretty cold in the winter, I don’t know how cold but 
would suggest -15c is possible, would the Tree survive?

I must say that the Redwood Forests (heading North turn right at Crescent 
City) are just magnificent, no words no matter how articulate you are can 
describe the feeling you get when you go and walk among them, if a 
Cathedral is a place to worship, then these forests are a place which 
will inspire you to contemplate things worthy of worshipping.

Best Regards To The Inhabitant Of This Planet

Doug

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From: [email-masked] (TGray)
Date: 19 Sep 1995 02:26:37 -0400

Talk to curators at your local botanical gardens.  They may have tried to
grow redwoods.

The climate where redwoods grow is governed by the influence of the
Pacific Ocean, particularly the Alaskan current that travels down the
coast, cooling the moist air crossing over the Pacific.  This creates not
just fog, but unique air currents.  Redwoods appear to thrive on this fog;
I have even heard that there is a particular isotope of water needed by
redwoods which they get from condensation on their needles.  I suspect
that British fog, created by warm water encountering cooler latitudes,
would not recreate the kind of fog we have here.  But good luck!

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From: [email-masked] (Bernard Delobel)
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 15:58:41 +0100

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]

> Best Regards To The Inhabitant Of This Planet
A lot of very big Sequoia sempervirens grow in England France and Belgium,
and in the east part of France it may grow at 1000meter altitude in places
were winter temperature fall under 20 degree centigrade

-- 
bernard delobel
INRA-INSA
laboratoire de biologie
69621 villeurbanne cedex 
france