What's going on with roots

A few weeks ago I started noticing a phenomenon near the ground level of the trunks. Thin dark hair-like structures were forming extending from the trunk. They looked very much like dead strings, being thin and seemingly dry. Eventually I began to realize that that was not the case - they are very much alive and a part of the growing sequoias.

Here is a close up on the #4, where these hairlike roots clearly started forming a web, which is now extending almost all the way into the soil:

#4 July 28, 2013

And here is even more magnification:

it appears, these are the new roots. They are extremely fragile, but I think in a few weeks they will form into full blown support structures.

All samples in 6" containers are doing fine. Several sequoias became extremely bushy. I decided to do an experiment with one of them by removing lower branches, leaving just a few top branches:

#63 July 28, 2013. Lower branches removed.

#202 is the youngest sample, which grows very well, outgrowing the majority of older samples:

#202 July 28, 2013

New place

The sequoias have moved!

This is many a year journey for the small giant trees. We have moved to a temporary house for the next 5-7 years and sequoias are now adjusting to the new quarters. They will spend the summer and the fall on the deck. It feels way more natural to have them at this new location, surrounded by the woods:

White patch July 4, 2013

I have prepared their new winter location in the basement of the house.

This summer in Iowa has been rainy and not very hot. Temperatures in the last couple weeks since the move were in 75-85F range. Occasionally the temperature on the deck jumps to 90-95F but that's for a thermometer, not necessarily the trees themselves. There is at least some breeze at all times in Iowa and I am not very concerned about over heating.

I started taking some sequoias outside for a few hours a day (they are quite heavy, could not do all). Then there was a cooler and cloudy period for a few days. At the beginning of that period, I dragged all of them out on the deck. It was about a week of moderate sun (less than 30%) and 75-80F. I decided that it was enough for them to adjust to the conditions outside.

The picture above serves as a proof that that assumption was fine. All of the trees immediately shot new, lighter/greener needles within a week.

The big difference from the basement caring to the outside caring for the trees was application of water. In the basement with artificial lights and an extremely well controlled temperature (75F) the plants were getting 300ml of water every two weeks. With temperatures outside potentially shooting to 100F+ and on average being between 80F and 90F during the day, sequoias can suck a LOT of moisture from the  soil based on what I read on the Internet.

My current technique is to measure moisture level at 4" depth and as soon as it falls below 3, apply 300ml of water.

Here is a few close ups.

Oldest one, #4. Getting some healthy growth after months of hibernation:

#4 July 4, 2013

#31 has picked up a huge volume:

#31 July 4, 2013

As well as did #38:

#38 July 4, 2013

#44, my youngest daughter's plant is doing well. It's balanced in the sense that is has significant volume and reasonable height. It is also one of the symmetrical samples:

#44 July 4, 2013

The giant among giants is #72. It is growing way ahead of everything else on the patch. It currently stands at 10" tall.

#72 July 4, 2013

Another extremely healthy sample is #101. Very symmetrical and well developed:

#101 July 4, 2013

One of the fastest growing plants is #110:

#110 July 4, 2013

And finally a close up to the "backup"patch. One is going to replace a fallen sample in a 6" tube some time this week: