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bonsia from a seed
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Posted by
redthumbplantkiller NW America (
My Page) on
Mon, Mar 17, 08 at 22:39
| i was wondering if it is practacle or possible to start a succesful bonsai tree from a seed and if so what tree would work best? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: bonsia from a seed
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Dwarfing Ricinus is fun,for they grow well in small pots for a while and look very interesting when they mature.
Outdoors only in warmer months,may like a sunny window indoors during the winter.
Many seed catalogs feature this interesting plant. |
RE: bonsia from a seed
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| Ricinus is not a traditional bonsai and is poisonous. In any case, many bonsai are started from seeds, but it's necessary that you realize that trees take a long time to mature, and a lot of patience is needed, along with the understanding that you won't have anything to 'work' on for at least 3-5 years, so you'll certainly want other trees to learn on while you're waiting. There is no one tree that will work best, and as you're in a wonderful climate out there, you can choose from many, but your best bet before buying anything would be to find a local club to join, so you can not only ask all the questions that will come up as you go along, but you'll see first hand how things are done, what's used to create bonsai and those, with doing a lot of reading, will give you a better idea of what it's all about. For general basics, look at www.bonsai4me.com, for indoor (tropical) trees, go to www.bonsaihunk.us/cultural.html, and for solid learning mostly about 'outdoor' trees, but also others, www.evergreengardenworks.com. |
RE: bonsia from a seed
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RE: bonsia from a seed
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i definitely DO NOT recommend starting a tree from seed. even though the seed started trees often end up having the best results. they take forever to get properly established. i would recommend going out and digging up a common(but beautiful)tree sapling and taking it from there. you get the same results but you knock off a few years of waiting. (this way it's all good...)if you must start one from seed i would recommend something simple such as a honeysuckle it is a very common and beautiful plant, and the seeds sprout so easily and so quickly. plus they are almost impossible to kill if you take care of them at all. i have also seen some herb bonsai that are quite remarkable the best choices are lavender and Rosemary. both are hard/woody perennial herbs that are pretty easy to start from seeds. (plus the seeds are quite common in garden nurseries and even at your local walmart.)
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i think i just completely contradicted my self... (oh, well) |
RE: bonsia from a seed
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| Do NOT dig up anything. Without any knowledge of how to handle it once dug (never mind how to dig which tree), your chances of success are low. It's not like moving a garden plant from plot to plot (even if it sounds like it). Just concentrate on learning first, then making an informed decision about what to get (from a nursery) and go from there while you wait for your seedlings to grow up. |
RE: bonsia from a seed
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| of course, lucy is right. knowledge is your best tool with bonsai. (i just kind of forgot then not everyone likes to study a bunch of random and native trees) so i did not think about how much knowledge you may have. but yes garden centers of course have great materials. i actually work at a garden nuersery that sells bonsai (established, finished, and starters...) and i know that most starter trees are grown from cuttings which may limit you on your nebari structures. (depending on how it was cliped...) |
RE: bonsia from a seed
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| Umm, I hate to keep disagreeing with you, but 'most starter trees are grown from cuttings' is not the case at all, though some might begin that way. Many are grown from young nursery stock, 3-5 yrs old, one gal. pots, or taller ones that get chopped soon after going 'home'. And I still do not suggest that redthumb.... get anything labelled 'bonsai'. They may well be cuttings stuck in a pot with glued on pebbles on top in silly little pots with dead moss, but they're not a good idea for someone wanting to learn how to grow bonsai properly from the start. In fact, they're the scourge of the art/hobby and not good for much at all. |
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