How to Grow Redwoods from Seed

Last Updated: January 29, 2020

You can easily grow two of the three species of redwood indoors from seed almost anywhere, at any time of the year as long as you have the proper materials, for around seventy dollars. It's a cool, relatively unknown way to work out your green thumb.

Steps

1
Purchase a packet of Coast Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens) or Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia Glyptostroboides - much more hardy than Sequoia Sempervirens)seeds. You can acquire them online. You could even buy "sample packets" for the price of 3 dollars from the F.W. Schumacher Company in Sandwich, Ma.
2
Soak the desired amount of seeds you wish to start in cool tap water for a period of between 3 and 5 days. You may place them in a small, seal-able plastic baggy or other container which won't leak. Keep the container out of direct sunlight. At the end of this period, you will notice that some of the seeds have become swollen.^{[1]
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3
Place the fast draining, proper soil mixture in the flat. This should be the flat that has holes in the bottom for drainage. Place this flat into another flat of the same size, but one which doesn't have drainage holes in it.^{[2]
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4
Now remove the water and seeds from the container (you can do this by gently pouring the water and seed onto a rag, but make sure that rag doesn't have any chemical or cleaning residue on it).
5
Gently sow the seeds, about two inches apart, into the flat. You may sow them closer, but you will be separating them later when they are bigger and stronger.^{[3]
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6
Cover the seeds with about a millimeter or two of soil, so that they may gently pop up when they germinate in ten days or so.^{[4]
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7
Gently mist the soil with the plastic spray bottle, saturating the soil with water.
8
Attach the t5 fluorescent single tube light to the inside of the plastic grow-dome. You can do this with the screws that come in the packaging and by cutting a two by two inch gap on the lateral sides of the grow dome, near the top. The light should be able to slide right in these holes, protruding outside of each by about 2".
9
Place the plastic dome on the flat, covering it.^{[5]
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10
Place the flat on top of the Hydrofarm Seedling Heat mat.
11
Plug the fluorescent light into an electric timer that is set to be on for 16 hours a day and off for 8 hours a day.
12
Place the whole set up in a bright, but not DIRECTLY SUN-LIT window. If direct sun is a problem, use a curtain or white shade cloth to reduce the intensity of the sun a bit.^{[6]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can I grow them from cuttings?

Community Answer

Yes, that is the best way to start a redwood tree. The cutting should be around six inches tall and you must use cloning gel, although not a lot. Plant the cuttings in soil and keep them damp, but not wet. Have patience, because it will take awhile.
Question

Can I plant the seeds anytime or is it best to wait for spring?

Community Answer

It's best if it's done in the spring, but you would still be able to successfully plant the seeds at other times.
Question

What if I don't have a Hydrofarm Seedling Heat mat?

Community Answer

You can substitute a fishbowl or reptile heating mat from the pet store. They cost around $10 to $12.

Warnings

Seedlings will be prone to "damping off" during their first month or six weeks of life. This is a fungal attack that results from TOO MUCH MOISTURE. To avoid this, AFTER THE SEEDS HAVE GERMINATED, let the soil surface dry out between waterings. IF you see any of your seedlings wilting without first shrivelling up (the shrivelling indicates that they are too dry) this indicates fungal attack and you should reduce the amount you water immediately. You want to increase aeration and decrease moisture in the dome.

Thanks!
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Things You'll Need

One 2 foot (0.6 m) by 1 foot (0.3 m) seedling flat, with drainage holes. Cost = 1$
One 2 foot (0.6 m) by 1 foot (0.3 m) seedling flat, with no drainage holes. Cost = 1$
One t5 6500 kelvin fluorescent compact fluorescent lamp. Cost is around 25$.
One Seedling Heat Mat (preferably made by hydro farm as it doesn't get too hot) that will fit adequately beneath the seedling flat. Cost is around 22$
One Electric Plug-in Timer to regulate hours of light the seedlings receive.
One bag of Fox Farm Happy Frog Potting soil. Whatever soil you choose to use just make sure it has a good amount of perlite in it for fast drainage. Cost is around 6$.
One clear plastic seedling grow dome that will perfectly fit on top of the seedling flat. These are usually bit to fit each other. Cost is around 1$.
One Packet of redwood seeds. Cost is around 3$.