Proof that bonsai kits can germ

[Oboedatree]

I got a small bonsai kit from Amazon around Christmas time because I was just so good in 2024 and wanted to see why everyone hated them. I planted both the Japanese black pine and the Japanese maple, the box recommended 2-4 seeds but I decided to do all 15 to increase my odds. I didn't expect much from either but when I got home today I saw that one of the pines germinated! I know that it is tiny and it may be the only one that germs out of all 30 seeds but it is definitely a start.


My advice for growing your own would be to put them in a glass of water for 2-4 days then refrigerate them in a damp paper towel time varies you can use a resource like Google of maybe even chatGPT witch I've been going to recently and have had good success. After the refrigeration, you should plant them in the pot (if provided) keep the soil damp but not wet. I like to put a sheet of plastic wrap on top to increase humidity. Remember that most of these kits are cheap and don't work well but it is a fun experience for sure.


Here is a link for the one that I used https://a.co/d/7U5cn1r
Best of luck to you all who decided to try it!

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Germinating is just the first step, now you have to keep it alive! Low humidity inside a house may kill it, high humidity inside an enclosure can result in fungal losses, and the list goes on. Damping off is the biggest killer of seedlings in my experience. Hope you do get something to make it long enough to pot up.

 

[Nybonsai12]

That black pine is gonna need some type of supplemental light to thrive. Don't let it stay too wet. Hopefully it does ok until you can move it outside. Good luck!

 

[jeremy_norbury]

Oh god, make it stop

 

[Gabler]

Damping off is the biggest killer of seedlings in my experience.

I've had the same trouble with my own attempts. I think I'm probably keeping them too wet, but I'm always afraid that the seedlings will dry out and die.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I started with a kit in 2020. My JBP and Bristlecone pines are all still alive and well. The Jacaranda and Black Hills Spruce didn't survive summer 2021. I let them sizzle in too much summer heat.

Then, last year I got another kit and planted those. Of those, I still have several trees now 1 year old.

Seeds are seeds. There is no shame in using a kit!

 

[penumbra]

Best of luck. You would have been better off waiting until early spring so the seedlings would spend the least amount of time indoors.
Now all you need is 10 years or so.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Best of luck. You would have been better off waiting until early spring so the seedlings would spend the least amount of time indoors.
Now all you need is 10 years or so.

I started mine in 2020, so I guess I'm halfway there! I don't regret it.

 

[Oboedatree]

Best of luck. You would have been better off waiting until early spring so the seedlings would spend the least amount of time indoors.
Now all you need is 10 years or so.

I now know that that wasn't the best move.. there is a bag of wisteria seeds that I'll put in a pot come spring.

 

[rockm]

Germination is really not a problem. Many kits have viable seeds. The issue is those seeds can be old or exotic (flame trees etc are not used very much for bonsai for instance)

The issues come in the months and years following germination. It will take a decade of care for any tree that comes as a seed in a kit to become an actual bonsai. Mostly No “bonsai” work is done in that time. Just growth facilitated by proper care

 

[Wulfskaar]

It will take a decade of care for any tree that comes as a seed in a kit to become an actual bonsai. Mostly No “bonsai” work is done in that time. Just growth facilitated by proper care

You have helped me A LOT. You have forgotten more about bonsai than I have ever known.

However, there is some level of bonsai work being done, especially with my JBP.
I have done repotting, root pruning, JBP seedling cuttings, wiring, and some attempts at balancing growth on JBP. The rest is purely trying to keep them alive.

I just don't want to discourage people from planting tree seeds. While I won't have any "bonsai" from these for years to come, it has still been rewarding and a great learning process that I'm still going through. But when that day comes, maybe in 10 more years, it will be extra rewarding to me.