How should I keep my giant fir tree in good health?
QI grew this giant sequoia from seed and it is now in a very large pot. Some of the edges of the branches are going brown, so what should I do?
I don’t want to lose it!
Mavis Watling, Sittingbourne, Kent
AWhat a splendid dwarf specimen of giant redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum). The browning needles, which are of no consequence and which the tree will outgrow, are the result of the driest summer on record.
As I am sure you are aware it will, if transferred to the garden, have the potential for growing to around 260ft (80m) high and 30ft (10m) across.
This isn’t a problem if you have space for it, but in an average-sized garden it could become embarrassingly large and, eventually, have to be felled.
Far better to confine it to the tub, pictured. Keep it lustrous and healthy by removing 6in (15cm) of root-matted compost in spring and replace it with a loam-based ericaceous mix. Additionally, feed it with a high-potash liquid fertiliser, weekly from April to September.