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Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

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Re: Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

#71

Post by pvaldes »

lenerdenator wrote: post #18
lukan wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"the seeds only being able to grow successfully in full sun and in mineral-rich soils, free from competing vegetation. Although the seeds can germinate in moist needle humus in the spring, these seedlings will die as the duff dries in the summer. They therefore require periodic wildfire to clear competing vegetation and soil humus before successful regeneration can occur" (Wikipedia) They need fire and sun. (And mayb…

me m8 dave can provide the fire so long as the old bill doesn't find out about it (lad's on magistrate's orders to not have matches)

> these seedlings will die as the duff dries in the summer

Again the myth of Prometheus, "they need fire, burn, burn, burn"... Yawn.

may die --On California-- UK is a little more humid.

Sequoiadendron grows happy in most temperate areas, including most of Spain. Segovia has some of the tallest trees out of USA, and is a hot place on summer. We have also a few small Sequioadendron forests on the North of Spain since 1950 or even in Granada since 1870. Some Sequioa sempervirens live even in Jaen

(and they don't need fire at all, because gardeners do all the work of taking care for the saplings).

Re: Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

#72

Post by ndonnellan »

daveslash wrote: post #51

"There are an estimated half a million -->redwoods giant sequoias (arrows mine) Giant Sequoias ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) and Coast Redwoods ( Sequoia sempervirens ) are two different trees! Note: It seems that my California nomenclature uses "Redwood" to refer specifically to Coast Redwoods, whereas other regions use "Redwood" to refer to all 3 species of Sequoioideae (Coast Redwood, Giant Sequoia, and Dawn Redwoo…

Portland, OR (NW Oregon in general) also has a lot of planted Giant Sequoias! So it may not be strictly true that they are super picky. I imagine as climate warms, the PNW will become a better spot for Sequoias. Unfortunately at the cost of trees that like it cooler and wetter e.g. Western Red Cedars.

I would plant one, but their trunks get huge quickly, and I see a lot of busted sidewalks around here due to that.

https://www.portland.gov/trees/sequoiadendron-giganteum

Re: Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

#73

Post by dhosek »

Balgair wrote: post #55
nuc1e0n wrote: post #44

Is the timber they produce good quality for building with? I might like to invest in sequoia farms for carbon capture credits then timber later on.

I'm not a carpenter, but my old house was built out of redwood. Never had a problem with it and redwood keeps most of the pests and bugs out. I think that's due to all the tannin in the wood.

The question is which redwood. I think the lumber redwood are the coastal redwoods and not the giant sequoias.

Re: Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

#74

Post by dhosek »

I remember going to Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park back in the '00s and when we got to the altitude where the sequoia groves existed and I caught a glance of one off to the side, I was so transfixed by how amazing it looked I almost drove off the road.

Re: Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

#76

Post by mytailorisrich »

secondcoming wrote: post #28

I purchased some Giant Sequoia seeds last year and only germinated them this year. Only two survived but I’ve no idea if they’re doing well. If they do survive my plan is to plant them somewhere in the Scottish highlands. I also have some Coastal Redwood and Dawn Redwood seeds but none of those germinated. I think I kept them in storage for too long. I might give them another shot.

I read about guerilla gardening recently and childishly thought it would be funny to plant Giant Sequoia saplings here and there.

Re: Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

#77

Post by wffurr »

daveslash wrote: post #51

"There are an estimated half a million -->redwoods giant sequoias (arrows mine) Giant Sequoias ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) and Coast Redwoods ( Sequoia sempervirens ) are two different trees! Note: It seems that my California nomenclature uses "Redwood" to refer specifically to Coast Redwoods, whereas other regions use "Redwood" to refer to all 3 species of Sequoioideae (Coast Redwood, Giant Sequoia, and Dawn Redwoo…

My kids and I watched a cute short show on Nat Geo titled Giant Sequoias vs Coastal Redwoods that goes into this exact distinction: https://youtu.be/Hmhb2vmEnvA?feature=shared

Re: Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

#78

Post by plopz »

daveslash wrote: post #51

"There are an estimated half a million -->redwoods giant sequoias (arrows mine) Giant Sequoias ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) and Coast Redwoods ( Sequoia sempervirens ) are two different trees! Note: It seems that my California nomenclature uses "Redwood" to refer specifically to Coast Redwoods, whereas other regions use "Redwood" to refer to all 3 species of Sequoioideae (Coast Redwood, Giant Sequoia, and Dawn Redwoo…

The story of the dawn redwoods is pretty interesting. Found in the fossil record, thought to be extinct, but then in the 40s a grove was found in china and seeds shipped all over the place. Now theres a bunch of cities planting them along sidewalks including nyc. Although sadly now it seems like the grove in china is having issues.

Re: Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

#79

Post by zwieback »

ndonnellan wrote: post #72
daveslash wrote: post #51

"There are an estimated half a million -->redwoods giant sequoias (arrows mine) Giant Sequoias ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) and Coast Redwoods ( Sequoia sempervirens ) are two different trees! Note: It seems that my California nomenclature uses "Redwood" to refer specifically to Coast Redwoods, whereas other regions use "Redwood" to refer to all 3 species of Sequoioideae (Coast Redwood, Giant Sequoia, and Dawn Redwoo…

Portland, OR (NW Oregon in general) also has a lot of planted Giant Sequoias! So it may not be strictly true that they are super picky. I imagine as climate warms, the PNW will become a better spot for Sequoias. Unfortunately at the cost of trees that like it cooler and wetter e.g. Western Red Cedars. I would plant one, but their trunks get huge quickly, and I see a lot of busted sidewalks around here due to that. ht…

Yeah, we have a lot of both in Corvallis, neither are great city trees but look great in parks etc. My neighbor across the street has a Sequoia and the electric company is constantly chopping out massive sections to keep the power lines safe.

Redwoods look nicer, in my opinion, but have a bad habit of sprouting like crazy at the base.

Re: Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

#80

Post by api_or_ipa »

simonsarris wrote: post #46
nuc1e0n wrote: post #44

Is the timber they produce good quality for building with? I might like to invest in sequoia farms for carbon capture credits then timber later on.

The wood is somewhat brittle. When they felled lots of them in the US 100 years ago, the loggers found to their great disappointment little use for the resulting wood, and turned most of the giant trees into... matchsticks, and that sort of scrap thing. Possibly the trees can be harvested more delicately today, though.

Fiddlesticks.

Redwoods are a fabulous building material. If you’re in the Bay Area, go check your houses joists. Quite a number of old houses here are made of redwood. AFAIK it makes a great wood for joists and structures because it it’s resistant to pests. My nearly 100 year old house’s joists are in fantastic condition. Big, beautiful beams, nearly completely clear and free from knots.

The reason it’s rarely used today is because we’ve cut down all the good trees and it’s wildly uneconomical to grow compared to cheaper woods.

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