Juvenile foliage to mature foliage (red cedar)

I got bored and decided to dig up what I think are small red cedar saplings. I was wondering how long it took for the juvenile foliage to turn into soft mature foliage. Also I posted pics of the forest planting and a projected image that I drew up for the finished image. Any advice on the forest planting would be great. I know they are young and small but I just wanted a forest planting to play with . Lastly I want to move the two left trees closer together but I couldnt right now because I didnt want to disturb the root ball but so much.



Right Side for Depth



Close up of foliage



Projected image

Can't comment on the adult growth, but why did you dig these up at this time of the year? Not sure where you are in Virginia, but here in the Northern section we're experiencing a major heat wave. I like your drawn picture, but if I were you, I wouldn't have dug these up, as they are going to need a lot of growing to get powerful trunks like your illustration shows. Be sure to keep them well watered in this heat.

Good luck!

Ryan,

I just wanted something to do outside, and i didnt disturb there roots at all. I just dug around them making sure not to mess with the roots because I know that its not the right time of year. Yes we are having a heat wave too, so im misting them alot all day long and keeping the soil wet and they are in the shade. In my drawing the trunks are pretty big I would be ok with smaller trunks but in the same proportion as the drawing.

Jake16 wrote:Ryan,

I just wanted something to do outside, and i didnt disturb there roots at all. I just dug around them making sure not to mess with the roots because I know that its not the right time of year. Yes we are having a heat wave too, so im misting them alot all day long and keeping the soil wet and they are in the shade. In my drawing the trunks are pretty big I would be ok with smaller trunks but in the same proportion as the drawing.

Trunks expand very slowly in pots. Five years from now those trunks will only be about twice their current diameter.

If it were me (but your call), I would wait for a break in the heat and without disturbing the roots simply pot them into a larger container/nursery pot with very well draining soil (potting soil mixed with sand, perlite, vermiculite, etc.) Keep the soil moist but not drenched, While my red cedars do seem to enjoy a light misting in the early morning on hot days, in my experience they do not like, nor do well to be misted throughout the day. I say put them in pots because you will definitely need to provide them (or move them) to shade for most of the rest of the summer, they can and will do well to recover if you move them to receiving morning sun. You can expect that if they do not die, the foliage will most likely start to turn brown here and there, but as long as you follow the above recommendations, and some green remains you can easily nurse them back to health over the next year and with enough room either in a nursery pot or the ground they could easily reach a decent size for a small scale forest over the next 5 years or so. Best of luck.

izzmogizz wrote:If it were me (but your call), I would wait for a break in the heat and without disturbing the roots simply pot them into a larger container/nursery pot with very well draining soil (potting soil mixed with sand, perlite, vermiculite, etc.) Keep the soil moist but not drenched, While my red cedars do seem to enjoy a light misting in the early morning on hot days, in my experience they do not like, nor do well to be misted throughout the day. I say put them in pots because you will definitely need to provide them (or move them) to shade for most of the rest of the summer, they can and will do well to recover if you move them to receiving morning sun. You can expect that if they do not die, the foliage will most likely start to turn brown here and there, but as long as you follow the above recommendations, and some green remains you can easily nurse them back to health over the next year and with enough room either in a nursery pot or the ground they could easily reach a decent size for a small scale forest over the next 5 years or so. Best of luck.

Yeah I might do that, depends on if I can find a big enough pot. Also did you acquire your cedars with mature foliage? I also might go grab the other two saplings in my yard that are much bigger compared to these and see if they look good in the composition.

Red cedar (actually a juniper as I'm sure you know) are something of a problematical plant for even fair to good bonsai, even as (or especially as) adult plants.

Those you dug up are little more than seedlings. And, considering the time of year and our current temperatures, I'd hold out little long-term hope for them, even if the roots were not disturbed -- and they had to have been disturbed when you moved them from native soil to that black mulch.

If you want to dig small specimens, I suggest you wait until fall and find some plants this size but with woody stems.

Oh that soil is just put around and on top of the existing soil which is probably 90% clay. But I am going to see if these live and if they do I might dig up the other ones, only because there are tons in the woods behind my house and sometimes its just fun to do stuff like that. Thanks everyone for all the comments

future as well
depends on your patience
wish you success after years of