Dawn Redwood Early Summer Flush - July 2023

I've documented a flush of growth on our Dawn Redwood tree over the year that typically occurs a little later in Summer - August (usually) - where the tips of the tree see some new, light-green (and tender) needles that appear.   This year, that flush (or...perhaps a different flush) came in early July.  Below is a photo showing one of the limbs of the tree that is showing some new growth.  A few things to note:  this entire tip is seasonal new growth.  It isn't woody (yet) - and is still green - so that means it arrived this growing season.  Second....the new growth I'm talking about...is at the very tips.  You can see that lighter green set of needles in a few spots.

This Dawn Redwood is a tree that I have NOT touched one bit - in terms of pruning.  Not an inch of limb has been removed.  Why?  Because, I really learned quite a bit with my FIRST Dawn Redwood.  I don't know where I picked up the idea that limbing up young trees is the right move.  Now...limb'ing up trees *is* a good idea, but NOT when they are this young.  I removed far too much of my first Redwood tree - leading to stress and ultimately death. 

I replaced it a year later and have left this tree totally in tact.  

But...it is getting time to think about pruning this one up.  Why?  It is getting what I'd call a 'skirt' - where the lower limbs (which have been on the tree the longest) are starting to get far, too long and the tree is getting wider than it is tall.  Same with my Weeping Nootka Cypress.  It, too, is getting that 'skirt' look.  

Something to think about for early 2024 - pruning these two trees to remove some of the lower limbs - perhaps an approach like I took with the Pagoda Dogwood where I left all the limbs in place (so they can continue to serve as 'thickeners' for the trunk), but shortened them.