Good evening,

Have you ever wanted to grow bonsai trees from scratch or from seeds? Do you want to grow a rare tree, one with higher demand or is hard to find in local store and online markets? In this article are several reasons how not to start growing from seeds and why.

*Fair warning, my trees and seeds were definitely harmed in the making. However, I am still learning, will plan better and plant more soon.*

My family knowing how passionate I am about growing and shaping my bonsai trees, they bought me a seed starter kit for Christmas. Here is where my shenanigans began, feel free to laugh if you want, I did. After Christmas, work was very chaotic as I worked to make up hours I had flexed, so I could spend a solid week with my two kids, rather than a weekend here or there. Once work began to calm down and my life was back in order, I pulled out the starter kit and began to read the instructions the day before Valentines day. Keep in mind, this was before I read the instructions, which clearly mentioned storing the seeds in a refrigerator or in a cool space.

Why Valentines day you ask? Great question. I have no idea. Originally, my dad had taught me that Valentines day is nearly the perfect time for repotting and other basic care of bonsai trees and I had assumed that it was the best time to plant seeds. However, I had not researched the seed tree types and their care instructions, outside temperatures, proper storage of seeds, typical wind patterns or how to even cultivate seeds. Anyways, in the instructions, it mentions that you boil the seeds 24hrs in advance before you plant the seeds, to help the seeds open and have higher chances of germinating, to start growing. At the time, assuming I was doing everything right and following the instructions, I focused more on making sure I didn’t mix the seeds, then reading the instructions completely.

Here is the first direct mistake I made, which could have easily have been avoided. I didn’t boil water, even though the instructions clearly said to boil water to a specific temperature or until the water started to boil. What I did, was ran a faucet until the water was hot to the touch and then filled up four separate small bowls to let the seeds soak overnight. Maybe I was tired from work and not thinking clearly? Or maybe, this is just one of those growing pains.

The next day when I got home from work I checked on the seeds, kept the seeds next to their labels and descriptions and began to boil water to help expand the prepared soil that came in the kit. (Yes, I don’t know why I boiled water for the soil, but not the seeds) After I had made a mess in my kitchen soaking this soil and mixing it up, I began to portion the soil into the four small eco-friendly pots that came in the kit. (I will never use these pots again, you will see why) Side note: This made the soil hot and hot to the touch.

When it came to planting the seeds, I had way more seeds than the recommended number of seeds per pot. I believe the manufacturer did this, because some seeds might not grow. In the instructions, they identified that you should only put approximately 10 seeds in each pot, due to over-germination or a pot that is too congested with plants and roots. My second direct mistake, I didn’t listen. I planted every seed I had per type, in their respective pots. This amounted to nearly 20 or 25 seeds in each 3" wide pot. Then, I put a small layer of soil over the seeds, placed them outside and watered them for the night.

Is it better to water a plant in the morning or at night? That’s a great question. At the time I began watering my plants at night, however my dad who lived in a gentler climate would water his most mornings. However, where I lived termperatures would reach in the 100s during the day in direct sunlight and I didn’t want my trees to bake all day. First and second indirect mistakes, watering my trees at night could create mold and placing brand new seeds or young trees in direct sunlight can stress them more than they are used to. Unfortunately, my trees all died before they molded from watering at night, but I am including that possibility. After talking to my dad, when they died, he told me “Build them a shelter and place a mesh over them, to filter the sun and give them partial light.” Why didn’t I consult with my dad about this earlier, rather than just jumping in less than half prepared.

My third indirect mistake, I didn’t check the weather in advance and there was weekends where I was gone the entire time. Do you know how light eco-friendly pots are compared to clay pots? Well, they are pretty light. I thought they were out of the way of being knocked over, but I learned my lesson coming home from one weekend I spent with my family a few hours away when I discovered one pot had fallen and broken. I tried to set it back up, keep the soil and seeds in it, because I didn’t have any alternate pots to put them into. Next time, I will have extra growing pots.

Another oversight, I didn’t see many birds around my apartment at the time, so I didn’t think they would disturb my seeds. My fourth indirect mistake, haha. Coming home from work a few weeks later, I discovered one type of seeds had multiple round holes in the soil. Knowing that I placed many seeds in the pot, I thought that the rest would be fine. I never found out if the birds had a negative effect on my seeds or if they just ate all the seeds, these particular trees didn’t grow at all.

I did have two types of the four seeds I started start growing and they grew 2–3 inches pretty quick. However, it was not to last. By this time, the heat was starting to push 90–100s everyday and I thought the young trees would be fine and love the direct sun. They did not. Within a month, regardless of checking their soil for dryness, so i didnt over-water (atleast I did one thing right), they began to turn brown, burn and stopped growing. This was a little bit of a let down, because I was excited to grow my own trees from seeds, rather than buying a bush at a nursery and training it for five years.

Lastly, I ended up moving to a friend’s house during the next month and I brought the unhatched seeds and the young trees. I placed them in a similar position at his house and made sure to keep up the motion of watering them to make sure they didn’t dry up. My last two indirect mistakes, I did not consider the impacts of nearby insects on my trees or how moving my plants around a lot may have shocked them due to the sun angle shifting around rapidly, when they were struggling to live or hatch.

My next batch, I will do better. I am currently planning some rarer seeds for this next batch, but I want to make sure I plan the area in advance and do a little more research. I already have a new house, a place identified where I will build a temporary shelter and where I will put them for direct sunlight.

Please continue to follow for more updates on Bonsai trees or other hobbies.

by,

Alan Montgomery