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I got more bonsai seeds

I got more Bonsai seeds!
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I got Pinus pinea(Umbrella pine), Picea pungens glauca(Colorado Blue fir) and Picea abies(Common spruce)
Heres my questions:
What soil should I use for them?(The kit came with 1-2 inch pots and soem coconut fibre compost)
Whent hey germinate, I will put into small Bonsai trays(My local garden centre sells small ones and big ones alike)
So when its time to put them into Bonsai trays,w hat soil shoudl I use?

Its nearly winter.
Should I put them into dormacy? Or shall I have them growing all through the winter and place outside at about April?

How hardy are these plants?(I knwo nothing about them)
Are they O.K outside al year round when I putt hem outside in April?

Thank oyu for your help,
Dino
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Dino,
technically there is no such thing as "bonsai seeds"..
because bonsai isnt a specific type of tree..
any tree can *become* a bonsai through training..
but anyone selling seeds as "bonsai seeds" is being unethical at best..

but! your seeds can certaintly become bonsai!
if you dont mind waiting 10 years or so..

the absolutely best way to grow them would be prepare a garden bed out in the open ground..make a small plot, like you would plant any other garden seeds..like pumpkins or tomatoes or whatever..
plant your pine tree seeds right now..
they will remain dormant all winter and sprout in the spring.
then let them grow for 3 years and do nothing at all to them..
years 4-10 you can begin shaping and pruning them while they are still in the ground..
after 10 years they should have good sized trunks and you can put the bext ones in bonsai pots!

if you dont have any space in the open ground, then plant the seeds in big pots..I would put seeds of each type into a big pot, so that you have 3 big pots with one type of pine each..that way you can kepe them labeled and not get the species mixed up..
out the pots outside right now and let them sprout in the spring..

sowing them indoors, and leaving them indoors all winter is a REALLY bad idea..they will very likely die.
just like CPs, these trees require a winter dormancy..
these trees should ALWAYS be outdoors..every day and night of their life.
This type of bonsai should be 100% outdoors all the time..
yes, people can do indoor bonsai, but thats with tropical "houseplant" type species..like ficus and serissa and such..
pines need to be outdoors all the time.

what kind of outdoor space do you have?
do you have a yard you can grow them in?
if not, pots will work ok..but they will take much longer to gain any good size..
(they grow faster and get thicker trunks faster in the ground..)

I have 10 japanese maples that I planted as seeds 8 years ago..
they have been in the open ground and they are just beginning to look GREAT!
Im thinking of potting a few up in bonsai pots this spring!

good luck!
im sure they will sprout in the spring, if you pot them up now and leave them outdoors all winter..

IMO, if you are just starting out with Bonsai, seeds is about the worst way to start..its much better to just buy a cheap garden center plant, juniper, small japanese maple, that kind of thing, and just start shaping it yourself..
but seeds can be fun too for bonsai!
if you dont mind waiting a solid decade to get good trees..
its a slow process!
smile_m_32.gif

Scot
 
Well I am germinating them indoors, wont frosts kill small seedlings?
We get at least 2 frosts a week here.
I know! *lights up*
I grow them inside till December, then I put them in my frost free(But chilly) garage.
What do you think?
Dino
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P.S
I just bought a Serissa seroides, and Im not sure how to grow it.
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[b said:
Quote[/b] (scottychaos @ Oct. 16 2004,5:21)]any tree can *become* a bonsai through training.
Good point, but not so. I put this topic up on a website when i got this *wicked* cool idea.

MAking a palm tree bonsai!!!!! But sadly, not possible.
 
Umbrella pine is from rocky regions of the mediteranian and has a very distinctive shape. I reccomend for it the same soil mixtures used to grow medeteranian herbs. This tree does not like frost or lots of moisture ( the area it comes from is dry.) Might need as much sun as Cp's because the sun can get hot and intense in its native range. Does not need cool piriods.

*thinks*

I dont know how you will be able to shape it into its mature form as it has a complex form at maturity with many small, spreading branches forming a narrow umbrella-like canopy on a tall base.
 
And whats oil mix does Umbrealla Pine and Medeteranean herb use?
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*sigh*

one moment please...
 
"these herbs grow in full sun and in poor to rocky-sandy soils that are very well drained..." I recomend mostly sandy soils with some limestone/granite rocks added... no gravle from roadsides.... Mix sand/rocks with compost to give a fibery texture. More specific information can be obtained form serch kewords like 'growing medeteranian herbs'(?)

Or do a serch on umbrella pine cultivation for specific species needs. Keywords 'Umbrella/ stone pine'
 
Thank you Finch.
Shall I mix it 2:1 two parts sand, garden soil?

What do you ppl think about my idea of puttign them intot he chilly garage for the winter?
I have heard all 3 need to be stratisfied to germinate.
Is thsi true?
Dino
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  • #10
Um i dont know how cold it gets in its nativehabitat but not too cold for umbrella. I think this should be kept on the same watering regime as pigmy sundews...the other 2 are quite hardy and adapt to a range of growing condidtons.

If you get it to germinate heres the natural form u should try to  mimic.
umbrellapine.jpg


palatine-umbrella-pine.jpg
Here it is sprouting from ruins near a villa. If u prune them dont prune the side to much because if u do it will end up looling like a pole with a little green on top.
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  • #11
Compost, not garden sooil
 
  • #12
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Finch @ Oct. 16 2004,4:42)]Compost, not garden sooil
Garden soil IS compost(well, nutricious compost anyway)
 
  • #13
Compost is not garden soil. Soil is composed of humus, sand, clay and stones, gravel etc. Compost is pure humus (decayed organic matter).

I would plant them in a somewhat sandy, acidic soil. Most pines, firs, spruces prefer this. I would also seriously listen to what Scott says in his post. He knows what he's talking about. Plant your spruce/fir seeds now and they most likely will not germinate as they need a long stratification period. They also will not live indoors for any prolonged period of time.

T
 
  • #14
O.K, shall I put the pots outside then?

Hey, I read in a Bonsai book that putting the seeds int he fridge for 6 weeks will stratisfy them.
Will this work?
 
  • #15
Well if its in a Bonsai book, I'd try it at least.
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  • #16
compost is acidic, right?> hes right forget what i said about limestone. thats alkaline... if u use rocks, granite would be best.
 
  • #17
Try to plant one in a nice rock. I always liked those root-over-rock styles
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pretty nifty look'in
 
  • #18
If








you





try
















to










grow













them











indoors
















they


















will
















die.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Well I am germinating them indoors, wont frosts kill small seedlings?
We get at least 2 frosts a week here.
I know! *lights up*
I grow them inside till December, then I put them in my frost free(But chilly) garage.
What do you think?

I think thats a terrible idea..
heres why.
trees need a seasonal cycle..
seeds sprout in the spring, they grow through the summer, they begin to go dormant in autumn when natural cues OUTDOORS tell them its time to begin going dormant..
then they rest all winter..
repeat every year for 100 years or until the tree dies..
germanating NOW, in mid October, growing for only 2 months, then putting them straight away into a cold garage will totally confuse the plants!
"hey! wasnt it just spring like 6 weeks ago?! we just sprouted and now its freezing cold? whats up with that? we never got our autumn dormancy cues! now we are only 2 montsh old and we are freezing to death! help! im dying....dying.........



dying.....

hey! now its spring for real?
too late..im dead..

I repeat:

If








you





try
















to










grow













them











indoors
















they


















will
















die.




but you dont have to listed to me..
 
  • #19
well said scotty
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No, dont repeat for only 100 years... ive seen 500 year old bonsai
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  • #20
they won't necessarily die you know...

edit: oh nm...
 
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