To the trees.

The morning after the wedding as we rounded up the last of the loose items around the Bluff House we were happy to find that eight of our redwood saplings were missing. We set out 24 pots as centerpieces and came home with only 16. With the one we are holding for Kat, that makes for nine of the trees being planted in friend's and family's yards throughout California.

This series of plantings is the is the green aspect of our wedding that we find the most pleasure in, and we hope that you will post pictures or notes on this blog keeping us up to date on how the trees are faring.

Speaking of which, a few comments to get you started.

• Your redwood may look sad after so much travel (the ones we came home with do). No worries, just water it well. It may not outgrow burned tips and such until the next growing season (Feb. 2009). Redwoods recover from almost anything, so don't give up on it.
  
• The little pot your tree is in will lose moisture fast, particularly in the hot summer months — so water several times a week and don't let the soil dry out. Putting your tree in a part-shade environment for the rest of this season will help you help it.
  
• Don't plant or transplant your tree until November. My recommendation is to upgrade to a five-gallon pot (with good drainage) in November and grow your tree for another year before putting it into the ground. It will be three to five feet tall by then and will handle the world better. Less than a year ago your tree was a oat-sized fleck of seed; I planted these trees in July 2007.
• For potting soil I use Miracle Grow Moisture Control Potting Soil. For a little fertilizer I use Miracle Grow All Purpose Liquid Fertilizer — but you can use whatever you prefer so long as the tree gets water and a little nutrients each week, particularly during the growing season (Feb. - Nov.).
  

Enjoy your trees, and e-mail or post with any questions or concerns (see old posts for more info, June 2008 and October 2007). If you didn't get a tree and want one, or want us to grow one bigger for you, e-mail or post for that, too. We'll even come plant it!

Jason