Very cool! Keep us updated.
But no, I am not going to try it myself. 😆

A few photos from today. The tip of the Wollemi appears dead.........AGAIN. Perhaps I did not protect enough early in the winter prior to setting up the greenhouse. The tip didn't look that good when I set up the greenhouse.

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I'm not sure if all that sap on the trunk is NORMAL?? Does everyone else have this sap on the trunk??

Tim, what temps did the Wollemi endure this winter?

Mine isn't outside, but I've never seen that white stuff (sap?) on the trunk.

Wollemias produce "polar caps" on their buds, presumably to protect them in winter.
Or maybe it was a response to protecting from fires that frequently ravaged their habitat.

The last remaining stand (where it was discovered in 1994) in deep canyon of the Blue Mountain Range of Australia showed those polar caps.

Mine seems to produce polar caps around the buds each year.
Resembles candle wax.

I bet yours will create new buds along the trunk just below the dieback, Tim.

Barb

Hi Cameron,

I didn't have a probe inside the greenhouse this winter. The lowest temp recorded at the local school was a mild 5F (-15C). I have lights inside the greenhouse; therefore, I would imagine the temps were likely 10F warmer or so....just guessing. The tip was damaged looking when I constructed the greenhouse on Jan 1 or so. I think we hit 7F (-14C) at the local school prior to the greenhouse going up I placed a cover over it that night. I think that did it in.

Hi Barb,

These Wollemi's are dropping like flys on the east coast (except for the ones in Wash DC). They seem to have root diseases in our soils. Perhaps the National Arboretum knows how to treat for that and there's are much happier/hardier. Joe K took these photos recently.......very cool!

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Root disease from your "soils"?
May be true, considering the parent stand is on calcerous rock.
And as they've been propagated by tissue culture, variation is unlikely.

But don't give up hope...in habitat, wherever their branches touched the ground, they rooted and the stand continued to spread.
In spring, maybe lay a bottom branch on the soil (after a slight cut--soil side--with a knife), hold it down with a rock and see if it roots.
Maybe sprinkling some limestone dust around its base every year would help to moderate the pH?
Or try wood ashes? (same result).

Nice pics from the Arboretum...wow, have they ever grown.

Updates please, Tim.

Fingers crossed in the meantime. 😉
Barb

Seems they do fine. So it means they are the Zone 8 survivors. I would cover them with some cloth just to be sure they wouldn't burn in March.

Hi Barb,

I don't know much about root diseases but the Wollemi's are subject to the following:

"They are easily stressed, and prone to phytophthora root rot, as well several other soil diseases."

Tim

Gotta be from acidic soils, I bet.

Growing on rocks in AU, no reports of it there, but I'll have a look.

Hope yours bounces back, Tim.

Thats cool Tim

I hope it makes it for you......

BTW

My Sequoia is chin high on me(I am 6')and looking at it yesterday
I think this will be the first winter with 0% damage and that with
absolutely no protection at all this year!
This should really blast off this year...maybe even double in size! 8)

Hi Jim,

it's great your Sequoiadendron has no damage this year. Keep us posted on it's progress this year as it will likely grow 3 ft or so.

PS, I"ve been looking for a zone 6b hardy Sequoia sempervirens form.........do you know of one?

Tim

Great news Jim, congrats.

I know how much you love that tree.

Hi Jim,

it's great your Sequoiadendron has no damage this year. Keep us posted on it's progress this year as it will likely grow 3 ft or so.

PS, I"ve been looking for a zone 6b hardy Sequoia sempervirens form.........do you know of one?

Tim

I sure don't,that is one that needs to stay wet for sure,not very hardy either.

Thanks Barb

I may see if there is a way to get is recognized so maybe it would be protected
and not accidentally removed at any time by the city.

Then again,letting them know its there....

Hi Jim,

we stay wet here in Coastal Massachusetts. If we don't get rain for 3 weeks we call it a drought! No kidding. I found a S. sempervirens 'Swarthmore College' which is suppose to be long term hardy in southeast Pennsylvania.....there climate is not much different from ours.........perhaps they are a 1/4 zone to 1/2 zone warmer??