Considering to grow a Snow Rose mostly indoors (From seed)

[Bonsai_Rookie]

“Plus one” for that book... it’s been a very useful tool, for me, ESPECIALLY so during my first year of “TinyTrees”.

Hahaha thanks and yeah I did buy it! I went through it many times already

 

[Bonsai_Rookie]

I would forget the seed right now and buy a small plant like a ficus and begin your learning process. It is the wrong time of the year to mess with seeds unless it is to collect them. And bare in mind that many, if not most, temperate zone tree seeds require cold stratification and many require warm and then cold stratification. The process can be a month or 5 months depending on species.
I have been growing plants for 60 years and I still have more seed germination failures than I do successes. I think that finding good viable seed can be a challenge. I split a group of 800 Japanese Maple seeds from several different cultivars with a friend of mine. Of m group of 400+ I had 56 germinate and grow. My friend had one grow. Certainly a seed source problem, but obviously there is more than that.
There are challenges but there is also absurdity. I have tried both.

I just read about seed stratification, and yeah it does seem really complicated. I think I would have the required ressources to perform one though.

Let's say by the end of 2021 to early 2022 I start a stratification of Korean Hornbeam and also pick (prolly) a fictus (I'd start both the fictus and hornbeam on spring), that way if the stratification reveals itself unsuccessful, I will still have atleastva fictus to deal with.

I will have to drop the idea of starting a serissa japonica from seeds since my seed sources would be highly unreliable. My odds of succeeding would be close to zero, if we don't count wether I did everything right or not yet...

As for germination, I completely agree with you, germination can be challenging. My first attempt was my blue flower jacaranda. I prepared 4 germination pots, which only 1 SEED, out of the 4 pots had proved to have germinated. Remember that as my first attempt, I had ZERO knowledge, not even a little, about basic plant caring and keeping.

 

[Bonsai_Rookie]

I would forget the seed right now and buy a small plant like a ficus and begin your learning process. It is the wrong time of the year to mess with seeds unless it is to collect them. And bare in mind that many, if not most, temperate zone tree seeds require cold stratification and many require warm and then cold stratification. The process can be a month or 5 months depending on species.
I have been growing plants for 60 years and I still have more seed germination failures than I do successes. I think that finding good viable seed can be a challenge. I split a group of 800 Japanese Maple seeds from several different cultivars with a friend of mine. Of m group of 400+ I had 56 germinate and grow. My friend had one grow. Certainly a seed source problem, but obviously there is more than that.
There are challenges but there is also absurdity. I have tried both.

Also, here is my main seed supplier:

DELUXE Bonsai Tree Seed Starter Kit

Get your bonsai seeds off to the right start with our new DELUXE bonsai tree seed starter kit. Select the seed variety you would like by clicking on its name in the list above. The Bonsai Tree Seed Starter Kit includes: One Bag of Specialty Blend Professional Bonsai Soil Your choice of bonsai...

bonsaisupply.ca

They can also be sold separately, of course, but the option of having everything you need right off the bat is handy, especially for a beginner like me. Even though that I know that making your own soil mixes and stuff is the best of the best

 

[HorseloverFat]

Seeds are DEFINITELY awesome.... a meticulous, laborious EXTREMELY rewarding experience... however, as both a hort and bonsai beginner... just expect a bit of heartache... aaaand you have to have a plan... in case you are better at it than you expected! And actual “trees” to work on... or you will bludgeon those lil’ bastards with SO much love... too much.

Because your first time seed-growing, could hypothetically be quite frustrating when after the first growing season... you started with 200 seeds.... and you got 75 germinated.. THAT’S AWESOME!... then.... there’s early competition, takes out another 20-25 that could’ve NEVER “Stood on their own legs... then you notice a bit of dampening off, This takes 10 more, you attribute this to pathogens distributed by those annoying fungus gnats (cause you couldn’t wait.. and HAD to start inside).. so you treat with bits and set outside... uncovered... The birds still find your ungerminated seeds DELICIOUS.... and that takes a few more... and annihilates the trays.. so the remaining 3 living seedlings you have have to be untimely “transferred”... this shock kills two.. (because of MANY things you have yet to learn in your first “season”) The remaining seedling.... gets thrown to the ground in a thunderstorm.. and accidentally stepped on by your children...

This is a summary of my first season of seed-growing...

But you know what?...

...I plant seeds every year...

 

[HorseloverFat]

I would suggest a different seed supplier, also.



IF you choose to try seed..

Either way... get a tree.. Ficus RULE... I like Meehan’s Miniature’s for Ficus.

 

[Bonsai_Rookie]

I would suggest a different seed supplier, also.



IF you choose to try seed..

Either way... get a tree.. Ficus RULE... I like Meehan’s Miniature’s for Ficus.

Do you have any suggestions or website for seed suppliers? Additionally, they must be available to ship in Canada

 

[Bonsai_Rookie]

Seeds are DEFINITELY awesome.... a meticulous, laborious EXTREMELY rewarding experience... however, as both a hort and bonsai beginner... just expect a bit of heartache... aaaand you have to have a plan... in case you are better at it than you expected! And actual “trees” to work on... or you will bludgeon those lil’ bastards with SO much love... too much.

Because your first time seed-growing, could hypothetically be quite frustrating when after the first growing season... you started with 200 seeds.... and you got 75 germinated.. THAT’S AWESOME!... then.... there’s early competition, takes out another 20-25 that could’ve NEVER “Stood on their own legs... then you notice a bit of dampening off, This takes 10 more, you attribute this to pathogens distributed by those annoying fungus gnats (cause you couldn’t wait.. and HAD to start inside).. so you treat with bits and set outside... uncovered... The birds still find your ungerminated seeds DELICIOUS.... and that takes a few more... and annihilates the trays.. so the remaining 3 living seedlings you have have to be untimely “transferred”... this shock kills two.. (because of MANY things you have yet to learn in your first “season”) The remaining seedling.... gets thrown to the ground in a thunderstorm.. and accidentally stepped on by your children...

This is a summary of my first season of seed-growing...

But you know what?...

...I plant seeds every year...

Fun fact: I started my first seedling with less than 10 seeds

 

[HorseloverFat]

Fun fact: I started my first seedling with less than 10 seeds

Hehe! That is awesome!

The tides roll both ways..

Don’t forget.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Ope! Yep, I see that Canada now. Real pretty place, that “Great White North”... I gotta get back there, bud.
For seeds, I shop in Autumn, on Ebay.. I look for fresh collection, even get some shipped from EU.. and if it’s in Autumn, and guaranteed fresh collection, I’ve never had ANY problems (that I, myself, did not orchestrate.)

For reputable, seed-selling Comp’nies, som’uddah’udder boys’ll chime in in a minute right quick, there bud. (Scheffield’s and TreeSeeds.com are the only decent ones I, personally, have had good experience with)

 

[penumbra]

Scheffield’s and TreeSeeds.com

These are premium sources. Be leery of eBay. Lots of old seeds there.

 

[rockm]

I have never really understood the need to "grow from seed" at the expense of all other approaches. It does NOT teach you much of anything bonsai-related. In knowledgeable hands, It is a process of allowing the seedling to sprout, grow and then doing appropriate chops and root reduction with an eye towards the future (decades in the future for just about ANY species--longer if they're grown indoors).

However, without any specialized knowledge or understanding of how to do actual bonsai, the appropriate work doesn't get done and the seedlings develop into trees that don't really have anything worthwhile, other than being a tree. Having seedlings provides a chance to apply techniques that enhance the tree down the road. You have to have an understanding of the path the tree has to follow...

Only a small percentage of seedlings developed by people with actual bonsai knowledge are usable as bonsai.

This isn't really meant to discourage you, but to give you some perspective.

You are aiming to develop trees for bonsai without any actual knowledge or skills required to develop them. It's a closed circle. To open it up, get an ACTUAL bonsai, doesn't have to be expensive, doesn't have to be museum quality. Buy a ficus bonsai at Walmart or something. Skip the seeds (And particularly seeds from China, as well as "bonsai starter kits" Which are just a way to over charge for junk).

The actual bonsai will teach you how bonsai works, what needs to be done and when, etc. Get some actual bonsai experience and THEN grow from seeds...

FWIW, the myth that seeds offer some kind of "authentic" bonsai experience and that you are the sole creator of a tree is horsehockey. Bonsai's soul isn't and never has been about "untouched by anyone's hand but mine" approach--which is a pretty egocentric approach. Good bonsai relies on many hands in their development. They BENEFIT from the input of others before and (hopefully) after you.