Growing a giant sequoia from a seed!
Wow! Just wow!!!
(Note: To purchase sequoia growing kits & seedlings click here)
I’ve been impressed by sequoia trees my entire life. Who wouldn’t be? They tower above the clouds. They have a trunk the size of a house, and last, but definitely not least, they can be thousands of years old. It wasn’t until a trip to Yosemite National Park did I gain the ultimate respect for these beautiful creations.
While standing there, gazing up into the sky, it hit me. I had completely lost track of time. Had I been looking at these souls of nature for 10 seconds, or had it been an hour? Time was nowhere to be found, and I didn’t care. In my mind, and in my soul, I felt a feeling of home. It’s as if these trees had personally welcomed me into their lives and I was safe there. I was already their friend and I had only met them. They were judging me by any means, they just loved me.
I’m a treehugger at heart. I love all trees. I’ve planted more trees than I can count and I’m always experimenting with different ways to grow them. I could never dream of cutting one down. It would be like asking me to take the life of a close friend. With the sequoias though, something felt a bit different. It was as if all of the trees that I have ever seen or planted in my life are part of a family, but the sequoias are the elders. They are not to be questioned, for they are the wise. They have been through it all and then some. Heed their advice and you shall learn. OK, I may be getting a little deep here, but you know what I mean.
Purchasing a sequoia
A few years ago, I purchased a sequoia tree online. A couple of weeks later it was at my door. It goes without saying that this was just a seedling. No, UPS didn’t deliver a 1,000 year old tree, unfortunately. My sequoia was approximately 3 years old and around 15” tall. I planted it in a small two gallon container and it stayed in that for about 15 months until we moved into a new home. Being a bit overzealous, I gave it a ‘new home’ in the ground soon after the move. BIG MISTAKE! Not only did I do a pitiful job of picking a location for my sequoia, but I planted it way too soon. What might work for a pin oak, doesn't necessarily work for a sequoia. At least in the early stages. The soil needed to be just right, as well as how much sun it received, and also how much water it would get. When you think of a giant sequoia, you think it can survive pretty much anything. As it gets older, this can sometimes be the case, but they need to be babied when they’re young, just like most things.
How to get started
Anyway, if you’re reading this post, you are probably wondering about growing one from a seed. Starting the long journey of growing something that touches the stratosphere (just kidding, but it seems like it) from basically nothing isn’t too difficult. The first thing to do is to head over to Amazon and pick up a grow kit (here). The kit arrives with instructions on how to get started. It’s very important to follow them to a T. Especially, the part about refrigerating the seeds to cold shock them. If you skip over this, you will be staring at this little tube of soil for months on end, waiting for something to sprout. I actually had three seedling sprout. I removed one so they wouldn’t choke each other out, and planted it in a small 3” pot but it died soon thereafter. As I look back, I think I allowed the soil to get too dry. I was afraid of overwatering it, but took things too far and the dryer soil wasn’t ideal to keep it going. I left the other seedlings in the small tube that’s part of the kit and one continued to get a bit larger, and the other never got over 1/2” tall. The instructions recommend leaving the seedling(s) in the tube to continue to grow but this is where I varied away from them. The small portion of soil that the kit comes with dries out vary quickly once the top is removed (which the instructions recommend once the seedlings appear). I kept it in a window seal and it seemed like I was watering it at least 4-5 times a day before it dried out again. Being that I had a seedling that was approximately an inch tall, I moved it to a 3” pot like I did previously, but did a better job of watering (along with the needed sun). I usually water it every 3 days, but it all depends on the humidity. It’s best to just keep an eye on the soil and make sure it’s a tad damp, but not muddy. It’s OK if the top is a bit dry, just as long as the roots are getting enough water, but not an amount that would overload them.
The whole process is not only fun, but also rewarding too. Knowing that you’re growing something that will last many lifetimes to come. Just think, the seed that you plant could still be around in the year 5,000. Not 2025, not 2050, but 5,000!
This website has a lot of information about growth rates and how to care for them. You’ll notice that information varies a lot from site to site, but you’ll quickly learn what’s best for your sequoia once it starts growing. Just keep in mind that it’s best to keep repotting your sequoia in larger containers as it gets older until it’s mature enough to grow on its own outside. In my opinion, you’ll want it to be at least 7-8 years old and possibly 4-5 feet tall before you put it in the ground. It’s better to wait and know that it will survive instead of testing it and not being able to return back to the container.
Want to get a head start?
If you don’t want to start with a seed, but would rather get a head start. You can always buy a seedling. I decided to do this also, just to compare the growth rates between the seed that I planted and the seedling that I purchased. I also wanted to redeem myself on the mistake I made a few years ago. The seedlings are a bit pricier, but you’ll be about 2-3 years ahead in the process. The seedlings can be purchased here. During the winter, while it’s more dormant, I put it by the window in my garage and water it about once a month. As the temperatures start to get above freezing, I move it outside to a covered porch where it gets the sunlight it needs and I water it more often, which is usually about once a week, or as the soil dries out.
My sequoia seedling!
Both the grow kit and the seedling come from the same company (Jonsteen Company) that sells through Amazon. I’ve had a lot of success with them and always get quality products. The grow kits that they sell are perfect projects if you have kids. It’s a rewarding lesson in patience. Honestly, it really doesn’t matter what your age is, it’s enjoyable and good for the earth.
I hope you’ve found this helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment below. Everything I’ve mentioned above is what has worked for me and are my experiences. Just like any tree or plant, experiences are typically going to very from one zone to the next.
Last but not least, the links back to Amazon reference my participant ID as part of their Associates Program where I earn money from qualifying purchases. Any money that I earn is always put back into this site and/or my art supplies that help me continue to create and share. Good luck and happy growing!
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