How I wish the welfare of Giant Sequoias was free from politics. I'm sure we can forgive your un-subscriber's upset. My brother and I drove past a lovely sequoia in England this August. We were unable to stop. I wanted to photograph it for you.
I agree, kind of hard to write about the fate of giant sequoias without talking politics. I appreciate your perspective, so you won't be losing me as reader over politics. I used to have a nursery here in Kaweah country and started many giant sequoias from seed, no fire needed. Same at the nursery in SNP. I still have one in a pot about to go on its 3rd year of duty as my indoor Christmas tree.
Thank you for highlighting our natural-regenerating sequoias on Palomar Mountain. I was entirely surprised to find those seedlings, and now will be searching for me. I've catalogged about 400 sequoias so far but have only canvassed a few percent of the ~60,000 acres of our mountain.
The notion that fire is needed for sequoia's to regenerate is a myth that refuses to die. Hammerly said that fire is needed for the cones to release their seeds. Not true. The cone just needs to be separated from the tree, allowing the cone to dry and open its scales, releasing its seeds. The sequioa cone, when alive, is unlike other conifers in that it is green, it produces chlorophyll like a needle/leaf, and it's relatively soft and pulpy. But when it's separated from its parent - by wind, by a tree squirrel, or killed by a boring beetle larva - it dries and opens. There is no need for fire to open a sequoia cone. Kill that myth. Sequoia seeds need mineral soil in which to germinate. Fire can expose such ground, but so can the natural toppling of a conifer, or a burrowing rodent, or a bear looking for a burrowing rodent. Fire is not required for sequoia cones to release their seeds. Fire is helpful in removing duff and exposing the mineral soil needed for successful germination.
Paul - I don't know why you are attributing to me that fire is needed for regeneration. As I have reported many times, all of the naturally regenerating sequoias on Palomar Mountain have occurred without fire. So we are definitely in agreement that it's a myth that refuses to die.
How I wish the welfare of Giant Sequoias was free from politics. I'm sure we can forgive your un-subscriber's upset. My brother and I drove past a lovely sequoia in England this August. We were unable to stop. I wanted to photograph it for you.
I agree, kind of hard to write about the fate of giant sequoias without talking politics. I appreciate your perspective, so you won't be losing me as reader over politics. I used to have a nursery here in Kaweah country and started many giant sequoias from seed, no fire needed. Same at the nursery in SNP. I still have one in a pot about to go on its 3rd year of duty as my indoor Christmas tree.
Thank you for highlighting our natural-regenerating sequoias on Palomar Mountain. I was entirely surprised to find those seedlings, and now will be searching for me. I've catalogged about 400 sequoias so far but have only canvassed a few percent of the ~60,000 acres of our mountain.
The notion that fire is needed for sequoia's to regenerate is a myth that refuses to die. Hammerly said that fire is needed for the cones to release their seeds. Not true. The cone just needs to be separated from the tree, allowing the cone to dry and open its scales, releasing its seeds. The sequioa cone, when alive, is unlike other conifers in that it is green, it produces chlorophyll like a needle/leaf, and it's relatively soft and pulpy. But when it's separated from its parent - by wind, by a tree squirrel, or killed by a boring beetle larva - it dries and opens. There is no need for fire to open a sequoia cone. Kill that myth. Sequoia seeds need mineral soil in which to germinate. Fire can expose such ground, but so can the natural toppling of a conifer, or a burrowing rodent, or a bear looking for a burrowing rodent. Fire is not required for sequoia cones to release their seeds. Fire is helpful in removing duff and exposing the mineral soil needed for successful germination.
Paul - I don't know why you are attributing to me that fire is needed for regeneration. As I have reported many times, all of the naturally regenerating sequoias on Palomar Mountain have occurred without fire. So we are definitely in agreement that it's a myth that refuses to die.