Growing Bonsai Seeds
When a beginner first buys a bonsai, it is usually a young tree, and while learning the basics, they begin to know how to look after their bonsai properly. There comes a point of time when the confidence grows enough to move on to more challenging forms of bonsai keeping. Including growing bonsai seeds.
Seed Dormancy.
Seeds, before they have a chance to grow, have to enter a period called dormancy, theres no set time limit on a seeds dormancy, it depends on the species as to when dormancy will end for your bonsai seeds. Some seeds like oak, may only be dormant from fall till spring, while others could last for 1 year to 18 months, like some pines.
Seed Germinating.
Through the cold winter months, the seed sits in wet soil, along with the elements soil bacteria start to soften the outer shell of the seed, when this happens it encourages the seed to grow. With our bonsai seeds we can artificially do what nature does naturally, and that is entice early growth.
Cold Stratification
When starting to plant your bonsai seeds in Autumn, you are doing what nature does in its own natural process, but we can quicken the process up of the over wintering period for our seeds. This we do indoors, and we call it cold stratification, this artificially prepares our bonsai seeds by placing the seeds into a container, then store the container in the refrigerator, which will imitate the winter period the bonsai seeds would go through. This method shortens the winter period and will assist the germination.
Sowing Your Seeds
Ensure the bonsai seeds are put into a container with good soil, spacing your seeds between 1/4 to 1/2 inch apart, under the surface, just check often as the months pass ensuring they dont dry out. With luck, in time, you will see the seeds germinating, with little shoots coming to the surface, and your half way there, though it will be a few years before they develop into bonsai.
Seed Preparation.
As mentioned above, it is likely your bonsai seeds could take a time to start growing, so have patience. You can assist your seeds along using the right fertilization, with moderation. From early spring untill the mid summer you can use 10 parts of Nitrogen, 10 parts of Phosphates, and 10 parts of potassium, using once a month, ideal time to use it is when soil starts to warm. Ensure the soil is kept moist, but not soggy or overly wet, or your bonsai seeds will perish.
