How to Care for Dawn Redwood Seedlings
- 1). Fill large planting pots with clay soil and cover the soil with 2 to 3 inches of mulch. Place a dawn redwood seed in the center of each pot.
- 2). Place the pots in a greenhouse or outside if the temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Dawn redwood seedlings grow best in partial shade with bright light.
- 3). Water the dawn redwood seeds with at least 1 inch of water per week to keep the soil moist at all times, without allowing the soil to become soggy. The seeds should sprout within two months. A mature dawn redwood, unlike the seedling, can thrive in soggy soil.
- 4). Select an outside planting site in full sun. Ensure the planting site is not in a depression that will collect cold air. Transplant the seedlings outside when they reach 6 inches in height.
- 5). Water the seedlings with 1 inch of water during the first two growing seasons. This tree drops its needles when it goes dormant, generally when the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 6). Discontinue supplemental watering of a dawn redwood seedling once it establishes its root system except during periods of prolonged drought. This typically occurs after one to two years.
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