Need help with new bonsai seeds !

Hello my friends,

Today i have bought and planted a few bonsai seeds (juniperus chinensin).  
But to be honest i don't know much about planting plants, letalone trees...  
So i followed the instructions that were on the manual as follow :

- I putted some small pebbles in the plastic container that came with it. (it has no drain hole).
- I filled it up with soil that came with it.
- Then i putted my seeds 0.4 inch deep and watered the soil.

Now the container is sitting on a shelf in my room. Its not really hot or cold.

But i have a few questions :

- Should there be a hole in the plastic container ? or does it not matter for the seedlings ?
- I read some stuff about germination. But my manual says nothing about it. So i planted the tiny seeds straight into the soil. Is this OK?
- Also, the manual said to plant the 4 seeds in the the soil. But i'm wondering if its OK for the seedlings to be in the same container... 

I'm sorry if my questions are stupid. But i don't have many knowledge and i must learn somewhere.

I really hope you guys can give me some tips !

Greetings, Rowbance

Hi!



I can't comment on starting Junipers from seed, but I just wanted to forewarn you that it may be a while before you're able to work on those trees and turn them into bonsai. Also realize that Junipers aren't indoor trees.

Hey Ryan,

Thanks for the reply !

I know it's gonna take a while. But i'm prepared to do it. I'm a patient man. ^^

I could put them outside, but i'm afraid it might be to cold for them because they are still seeds.

Rowbance wrote:Hey Ryan,

Thanks for the reply !

I know it's gonna take a while. But i'm prepared to do it. I'm a patient man. ^^

I could put them outside, but i'm afraid it might be to cold for them because they are still seeds.

Now, as I said, I'm not sure how Junipers are started from seeds. They may or may not require a stratification process, I'm not too sure. It's not the best time to start trees from seed, but you gotta do what you gotta do I suppose.

And remember, when I say a while, I mean at least a few years  

Yes, there should be holes in the container. Water should pass through quickly.

It is OK to have all the seeds in one container -- assuming it is at least 8 cm wide.  You will have to separate the 4 plants at some point.  

HOWEVER, on a shelf in your rooms is NOT satisfactory.  Plants need sunlight.  They should at least be on a windowsill where the sun can shine on them for part of the day.

Do NOT overwater.  Seeds like it slightly damp, not wet.  After they have sprouted, they do not ever want to be wet and soggy.  They will need much more sun after they have sprouted.  If you can keep them outside until freezing weather arrives that would be even better.  When it starts to freeze at night, put them back on the windowsill.

There is no such thing as a bonsai seed. There are seeds of many trees that can be used for bonsai, but they still require various bonsai techniques.
If you want a juniper bonsai, don't depend on the seeds. Go to a garden center and buy a juniper. Almost any juniper sold for landscaping can be turned into a bonsai. Join the nearest bonsai club.
Iris

Thank you Jimlewis,

I have made some holes in my container.
And altough my manual says it should be on a shady spot, i trust you more and putted it on my windowshelf today in the sun.
And i will try to not overwater them.

But i still have a question about the Scarification. The manual doesn't say anything about it. So i sowed the seeds straight away.
How am i able to know if seeds need Scarification or not ?
I'm really worried about this.

bonsaisr wrote:There is no such thing as a bonsai seed. There are seeds of many trees that can be used for bonsai, but they still require various bonsai techniques.
If you want a juniper bonsai, don't depend on the seeds. Go to a garden center and buy a juniper. Almost any juniper sold for landscaping can be turned into a bonsai. Join the nearest bonsai club.
Iris

thanks for the information !

I never knew they where just normal tree's adjusted to stay small. Until yesterday. very intresting !
And i've heard it's not easy to start from a seed with juniper. But i still want to try.
And if that doesn't work i'll take your advice and buy a juniper.

greetings.

You were right about scarification. If you don't know what juniper species you have, you may be in the dark. This is what I found.

Bring a pot of water to a boil; aim for a water temperature of about 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn off the stove and place the seeds in the pot to scarify them. Remove the seeds from the pot when the water cools down to room temperature. Alternatively, rub the seed coating with sandpaper or nick it with a knife.
5
Fill half of a resealable sandwich bag with moist peat moss or sand. Seal the seeds in the bag and lightly shake it. Place the bag in a warm area, such as the top of the refrigerator, at 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the medium periodically and mist it with water from spray bottle to keep it consistently moist. Stratification duration varies by species -- some juniper species may require 60 days of warm stratification, while others may need 120 days.
6
Take the sandwich bag and place it in the refrigerator at 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Moisten the peat moss or sand as needed. Depending on the juniper species, cold stratification may take anywhere from 90 to 120 days.
7
Fill a seed-raising tray with moist peat moss or sand up to one-half inch from the top. Tamp down the medium so it's firm in the tray and keep it moist throughout the germination period. Sow the seeds at an equal depth as their diameter. Stretch plastic wrap over the tray to promote soil moisture retention.
8
Place the seed-raising tray in a warm area away from direct sunlight. Once the seeds germinate, place the tray in a sunny window so the seedlings can grow. Transplant the seedlings to individual containers when they're large enough to handle, or transplant them outside in spring, after the last frost date in your area.

bonsaisr wrote:You were right about scarification. If you don't know what juniper species you have, you may be in the dark. This is what I found.

Bring a pot of water to a boil; aim for a water temperature of about 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn off the stove and place the seeds in the pot to scarify them. Remove the seeds from the pot when the water cools down to room temperature. Alternatively, rub the seed coating with sandpaper or nick it with a knife.
5
Fill half of a resealable sandwich bag with moist peat moss or sand. Seal the seeds in the bag and lightly shake it. Place the bag in a warm area, such as the top of the refrigerator, at 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the medium periodically and mist it with water from spray bottle to keep it consistently moist. Stratification duration varies by species -- some juniper species may require 60 days of warm stratification, while others may need 120 days.
6
Take the sandwich bag and place it in the refrigerator at 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Moisten the peat moss or sand as needed. Depending on the juniper species, cold stratification may take anywhere from 90 to 120 days.
7
Fill a seed-raising tray with moist peat moss or sand up to one-half inch from the top. Tamp down the medium so it's firm in the tray and keep it moist throughout the germination period. Sow the seeds at an equal depth as their diameter. Stretch plastic wrap over the tray to promote soil moisture retention.
8
Place the seed-raising tray in a warm area away from direct sunlight. Once the seeds germinate, place the tray in a sunny window so the seedlings can grow. Transplant the seedlings to individual containers when they're large enough to handle, or transplant them outside in spring, after the last frost date in your area.

Thank you so very much for this information !
Altough the process is longer than i thought.  
But i'll give it a shot !
i'm only not really shure if the sandwich bag needs to be closed or not...

bonsaisr wrote:
Fill half of a resealable sandwich bag with moist peat moss or sand. Seal the seeds in the bag and lightly shake it. 

Yup. Looks like you do.

fiona wrote:

bonsaisr wrote:
Fill half of a resealable sandwich bag with moist peat moss or sand. Seal the seeds in the bag and lightly shake it. 

Yup. Looks like you do.

Oh sry, i must have mist that word.