Awakening

2017 grow season is up.

The past winter inflicted a much more severe damage to the Iowa sequoias than the previous one. I am glad it was not any more sever winter, which it could have easily been given we are in Zone 5. Here are the results:

Two dead trees were removed. Another almost dead tree is not removed yet owning it to a minor growth at the base. First removed was a five-year old,  #34, which was not a surprise. It never really recovered after 2015-16 winter showing no growth for the entire 2016 season. Another past leader #38 had a sever fungus outbreak in August 2016 and also never recovered.

The nearly dead one is #31. #31 finished last year third, which is to say it was one of the strongest trees. The trouble with #31 started in August 2016 when it developed a severe fungus outbreak. By the time it went into the winter it lost 75% of its volume. The height of a tree is a useless measure when the tree does not have any branches along the trunk. So this one is a towering dead giant with a tiny bit of green at the bottom.

To round up the top-three report, both #72 and #33 took a severe damage, losing more than half of their volume over winter. They both still have growing tops as of this spring. #33 has a strong bushy branch at the bottom of the trunk. #72 has no such strong branches but has green shoots on top, giving it some hope. It is clear that the leadership will be completely revamped in the current growing season. Read on to see how the middle of the pack are doing, showing a bright future for the Iowa Sequoia Park.

Full line up of the trees is below with additional comments on individual development in the captions.

5th growing season sequoias (germinated Fall 2012 - Jan/Feb 2013)

#31

#31 nearly dead. DOB 11/18/2012. Was 44" at the end of previous season. May 21, 2017

#31 small growth at the bottom. Recorded at 6.5" May 21, 2017

#33

#33 DOB 11/18/2012. Massive volume loss after winter but growth on top and a strong branch bottom right. 46" May 21, 2017

#39

#39 DOB 11/21/2012. Lost leader trunk. Several strong side branches started growing vigorously in  Spring. However, all are severely bent at this time. 4" loss, recorded at 18" on May 21, 2017

#63

#63 DOB 11/25/2012 Severely damaged after winter. Lost half of the height, recorded at 15.5" on May 21, 2017

#65

#65 DOB 11/29/2012. Average winter damage. Some loss of the branches throughout the volume but overall plenty of green remaining. Unchanged at 22.5" on May 21, 2017

#71

#71 DOB 12/1/2012. Severe damage by fungus in the Fall followed by additional loss during winter.  A strong shoot on top appeared in May. 27", a gain of over an inch since last season, recorded on May 21, 2017

#72

#72 DOB 12/1/2012. Substantial fungus damage in the Fall of 2016 followed by additional loss during winter. Several top branches started growing fast in May. 38", one inch gain since last season. May 21, 2017

#104

#104 DOB 12/24/2012. Minor fungus and winter damage. After planting in the permanent spot last spring #104 developed light yellow-green leafy abnormal looking top. Late in the Fall a strong normal looking shoot appeared from the middle of the abnormal formation growing well into October 2016. New growth throughout entire volume on May 21, 2017. 38"

#112

#112 DOB 1/19/2013. Average winter damage. 29", one inch gain recorded on May 21, 2017

#118

#118 DOB 2/4/2013. Below average winter damage with no major branches lost. Small branch loss uniform throughout  with no damage to the top. 28.75" minor growth since last season. May 21, 2017

4th growing season sequoias (germinated Fall 2013)

#207

#207 DOB 10/27/2013. Severe winter damage. There was almost no fungus damage last summer/Fall. During winter low temperature days still green branches were snapped off and were laying on snow. Lost entire main trunk. Strong growth is present on the lower branches in May 2017. Height recorded at 6.5" on May 21, 2017

#208

Investigate, where is it?

#212

#212 DOB 10/27/2013. Minor winter damage. No fungus damage last year.  Largest volume among all  samples.  37" May 21, 2017

#214

#214 DOB 10/30/2017. Minor winter damage. It was kept completely protected by burlap unlike most other samples. It was moved to the permanent spot in April 2017. 30" on May 21, 2017

#215

#215 DOB 10/30/2013. Severe winter damage. Several strong branches remaining with a growing top as well.  23" May 21, 2017

#219

#219 DOB 11/2/2103. Average winter damage with about half major branches lost. Main trunk is intact and began growing. 15.5" May 21, 2017

#220

Investigate, where is it?

#221

#221 DOB 11/2/2013. Minor winter damage. #221 was kept completely covered by burlap unlike most other samples. Moved to permanent location in April 2017. 23" May 21, 2017

#222

#222 DOB 11/2/2013. Average winter damage. 16.5" May 21, 2017

3rd growing season sequoias

None surviving

2nd growing season sequoias (germinated Fall 2015)

#255

#255 DOB 10/30/2015. No winter damage. Kept in a pot under foam cone. Fast growth presently. 8" May 21, 2017

#256

#256 DOB 10/30/2015. No winter damage. Kept in a pot under foam cone. Fast growth presently. 5.5" May 21, 2017

#257

#257 DOB 10/30/2015. No winter damage. Kept in a pot under foam cone. Fast growth presently. 4" May 21, 2017

#258

where is it? was 4"

#259

#259 DOB 30/10/2015 Kept under foam, no damage, 3.5" May 21, 2017

#260

where is it? was 4.75"

#261

#261 DOB 10/30/2015. No winter damage. Kept in a pot under foam cone. Fast growth presently. 5" May 21, 2017

#262 (duplicates, investigate)

#262 DOB 10/30/2015. No winter damage. Kept in a pot under foam cone. Fast growth presently. 6" May 21, 2017

#263

#263 DOB 10/30/2015. Severe winter damage. Was kept with the rest of the same age samples but without a foam cone. Minor needles at the bottom survived. Growth restarted from the base of trunk. 2" May 21, 2017

#264

#264 DOB 10/30/2015. Extreme winter damage. This was one was by far the strongest sample of the Fall 2015 germination batch going into the 2016/17 winter. It was kept in a pot same place with the rest of same age samples. However, it was not covered with a foam cone. It lost 100% of the height and started growing new shoots from the base of the trunk. 1" on May 21, 2017.