Growing Bonsai from seed

Growing a bonsai from a seed is something most beginners and amateurs look forward to when starting bonsai.
Most veteran bonsai-ka who actually start a bonsai from seed usually have several pre-established bonsai that (s)he can work on while the seed grows, so that the first 3~5 years of waiting does not seems all that long. Beginners rarely have this option.

Its a common post that pops up here and there in forums :

"Hi,
I'm new to bonsai,
Where can I buy bonsai seeds?
How do I create a bonsai from seed?"

So lets answer those two basic questions:

1. Where can I buy bonsai seeds?

First of all bonsai seeds does not exist, it is a marketing hoax to get gullible beginners to buy seeds.
What you buy is a normal tree / plant seed that you could have easily collected in fields, gardens and by the roadside.
Products labelled "Bonsai Seed" are often overpriced and misleading.
Bonsai is an horticulture technique, just like aquaponics.

Sure bonsai can produce flowers, fruits and seeds, but those will not give you another bonsai if you manage to make them germinate. They will produce another tree/plant!

What will turn your sprouting seed into a bonsai will be:
a. Your horticulture skills [ specially not to kill it during the germination/sprouting period, and keeping it alive for the rest of its or your life ],
b. Your bonsai knowledge [ of when to apply techniques to create and improve root, nebari, taper, girth, flow, ramification, leaf reduction, etc ],
c. Your artistic sensibility [ YES Artistic sensibility - Bonsai IS all about creating a living art-piece at the end of the day, not just another stick in a pot! ]

So you can either buy those seeds from the net [ ebay, amazon, special bonsai websites ], in nurseries or like I said above, pick it up in fields, gardens and by the roadside.

2. How do I create a bonsai from seed?

Creating bonsai from seeds are sometimes described as being quick or easy or fun or for beginners on many sites selling seeds or explaining how to create a bonsai from seed.

As a "beginner" who actually gave it a go, here's a quick summary of what to really expect when starting a bonsai from seeds:
1. It is not quick, it is actually extremely slow and painstaking and the resulting sprout/plant is very fragile in the beginning.
2. It is not easy, its actually pretty easy to f**k it up. Starting from seed to actually get a good material later on requires you to have a good grasp of what makes up a bonsai to guide the seed into producing those characteristics.
3. It is not for beginners! Sure you can have a got at it, but if you don't know when to nudge the tree in the right direction here and there, you'll just be wasting your time.


So here is a condensed "Growing Bonsai From Seed For Dummies" guide-through:

-2 / -1 yr : Seedy Potter - The seed that survived!
You're just wasting time here, no bonsai excitement in view, only basic horticultural skills needed to keep the seeds alive and kicking.
Stratify it, plant it, wait for it to germinate, wait for it to get strong enough for transplant, cross fingers and anything else that you can cross and hope it does not die on you.

00-03 yrs : Game of Patience - Watch it grow!
Do some basic root works: Get rid of taproot, spread the lateral roots in a desired radial shape to become future nebari.
You can forget about ramifications at this stage, because the main trunk is usually way too thin.
You need to let it grow, grow, grow and thicken, thicken, thicken.
Oh and stick it in the ground or a training pot! :)
Keep the bonsai pot inside the closet for now.

04-12 yrs : Congrats you've got your first pre-bonsai material, worth more or less what you could have get hold of in a nursery 4 year ago.
Wire the trunk, give it some basic shape and flow.
Choose your main branches, sacrificial branches, get rid of the rest.
Start on ramification, you know that thing you can start straight off when you buy a plant from nursery.
Continue to improve on root ball and nebari.
You can take out the bonsai pot from the closet now, don't forget to dust it off, but don't just add your tree into the pot yet.

06~20 yrs : Turn your prebonsai material into a bonsai masterpiece - If you can!
This is where the real bonsai work will start.
Further reduce the root-ball to get it to fit into a bonsai pot. If you've missed training the root just too bad, you'll have to start it all over.
Further promote the nebari to give an aged look to the tree. If you've missed the training from the earlier years to develop the nebari, then you're in for another series of years of training.
Get rid of sacrificial branches, if possible at the right time so as not to have to that process all over again.
Refine ramification, this should impact on the leaf size in the end.
Use your artistic taste to get it in shape, this is where the "Create a masterpiece - If you can!" part comes into action. Like walter pall wrote in a reply on one of his post: "The difference between good and world class is millimeters"
Place your miniature tree into your pot, yes you can finally do it.

And you get your first bonsai after some 12~20 years. That was quick was it not?
The years are just an approximation, it could take you less but generally it will take you much more to create a bonsai from a seed.

So why should beginner get away, at least for the first 2~3 years from starting from seeds?

Actually you can start by planting the seed and allowing it to grow for the next 2~3 years while you get some hands on experience with established nursery plants.

So the real question would be "Why not to start into Bonsai solely with seeds?"

1. Well for starters beginners usually don't have a clue at how a bonsai ticks! 
I am sorry, but its true!
If you can safely tell :

• when to start working on roots, 
• which roots to cut and which to promote, 
• which branches to leave and which to cut off, 
• when to prune without killing off your tree, 
• how to prune your tree [ yes some trees have a specific method of pruning ]
• how to avoid reverse-taper [ that's a nasty stuff that easy pops up if you're not careful, and its tricky to rectify it ],
• how to promote girth without distorting the tree,
• etc

Then go ahead and start from a seed.
But most of the time, you won't be able to tell when is the right time. That comes from practice and experience that a beginner can only get quickly when working with nursery plants.

2. Don't waste your learning time!
When you buy a nursery plant, you usually buy a trunk and some 3~5 years head start. You will still have to work on the roots and the ramification and the leaf reduction process.
When you're starting from seed, you start from -1 year at least. There will be no "bonsai action" so to speak for a long long time. This means you will practice nothing bonsai related for at least 2~5 years!
Its like learning to play a game, learning the rules and all the theory and all for 2~5 years before actually giving it a try!

3. You won't be able to leave it alone!
I know from personal experience and from others that when you start in bonsai, you want to work on the tree, be part of its growth. But when starting from a seed you have to leave it alone and let it grow.

Don't cut leaves, don't cut branches, let it grow. When starting from seed, you are actually growing a trunk and roots! That's all you want to grow from quite some time, and the only way to do that is by allowing the plant to grow.

At this stage either you snap and get fed up with bonsai, or you go into denial and think that the stick in a pot that you're growing is a bonsai.

4. Start with something from your neighborhood.
Most beginners that looks for seeds to begin with seems to look for the most exotic, most foreign seed possible. They tend to look for something that they would not normally find in their immediate environment and that is a huge flaw.
Start off with a plant that grows in your back garden, in your park or on the side-roads  specially if its your first time starting off from a seed.

To conclude

Well that was light reading :)
To sum it up, basically if you are new to bonsai, get away from the idea of starting the learning process from a seed. Its time consuming and you don't get any real bonsai action until you get a decent prebonsai material!
On the good side, if you manage to pull it off and create a bonsai, there is no doubt that you will feel some elation at the success.

Cryptomeria japonica : Giving it a try

I bought this Cryptomeria japonica [ Japanese cedar ] back in July 2012. I had no real bonsai plans for it and for the last months it was left in it nursery bag and left alone in the garden. Some weeks ago I saw several long roots going out of the bottom of the bag and decided a re-potting was in order. In the end I ended up deciding to give this plant a go at turning it into a bonsai and work on improving its root system.

J'ai acheté ce Cryptomeria japonica [Cèdre du Japon] en Juillet 2012. Je n'avais pas de reals projets pour le convertir en bonsaï et pour les mois qui suivirent, il a été laissé dans son sac de pepiniere et laissé dans le jardin. Il y a quelques semaines, j'ai vu plusieurs racines sortir du fond du sac ce qui m'as forcé a faire un rempotage. A la fin je me suis mis a rechercher comment ameliorer le system radicire pour le convertir en bonsaï.

Monn aste sa Cryptomeria japonica [ Cedar ] la en Zuillet 2012. Mo pas tinn prens li pou fer bonsai are li premier cout. En de semainn parla monne trouv racine pe sorti par enbas so pot. Pendan ki mo ti pe repot pied la, so sistem racinn ti pe paret interessant pou fer li vinn en bonsai. Abe lerla monne decide arranze so racinne pou ki pli tard kapav fer li vinne en bonsai.

 The root system, after cleaning up the soil

 Le système racinaire, après avoir nettoyé la terre

 So sistem racinn kan inn fini netoye so la ter

 There were several taproot that needed to be removed

 Il y avait plusieurs racine pivotante qui devait être retiré

 Ti ena en tas racinn epais ki servi pou tinis pied la dans la terr, sa banne racinn la in bizin tir zot.

 Lateral root and thicker roots that would eventually develop into lateral roots were identified and removed.

 Les racines latérales et racines plus épaisses qui finirait par se transformer en racines latérales ont été identifiés et éliminés.

 Mo finn tir bann pli gro racinn. 

 Finer roots and feeder roots are favored and kept as far as possible close to the trunk. Feeder roots at the end of long lateral roots are reduced to fit into the rootball.

 Racines fines et les racines nourricières sont favorisé et maintenu autant que possible près du tronc. Les racines nourricières à la fin de longues racines latérales sont réduites pour tenir dans la motte. 

 Monn gard bann racinn fin et tipti racinn ki servi pou nourri pied la, ek monn finn assir mwa ki zot pre ek tron pied la. Bann racinn ki tro long finn rakourci.

 The rootball after the inital root pruning. The thick lateral roots are gone, the long lateral root have been reduced, and the mass of finer feeder roots have been kept. There are still 4 lateral roots that I kept because there was lots of feeder roots sprouting from them. Those lateral roots will be reduced at the next repotting. 

 Voici la motte après la taille des racines. Les grosses racines latérales ont disparu, les longues racines latérales ont été réduits, et la masse des racines nourricières fines a été conservé. Il y a encore 4 racines latérales que j'ai gardé car il y avait beaucoup de racines nourricières germination d'eux. Ces racines latérales seront réduits au rempotage suivant.

 Ala leta sistem racinn la apre in fini taille li. Ena enkor enn de gro racinn kin pann koupe akot ena enn ta tipti racinn ki sorti ar zot. Sa bann long racinn la mo ava diminier zot kan pou bizin fer enn lot repot lor li.

 The plant was placed at the center of a training pot, and the roots were disposed in a radial disposition around the trunk.

 La plante a été placée au centre d'un pot de formation, et les racines ont été disposées dans une disposition radiale autour du tronc.

 Inn met pied la au milieu en pot ek inn tall so bann racinn autour pied la koumadir en la rou bicyklet.

 Finally the roots were covered with earth. This will be allowed to recuperate for 12 months or so and allowed to grow freely to thicken up the trunk and grow new ramifications.

 Les racines ont été recouvertes de terre. La plante va récupérer pendant 12 mois au moins et seras permis de se développer librement pour épaissir le tronc et développer de nouvelles ramifications.

 Bann racinn la inn rekouver ek la ter. Mo pou laiss pied la trankil pendan environ enn 12 moi par la, sa ava aide peid la grossi ek fourni nouvo branches.

False bonsai in Mauritius

Im kind of disgusted with the way some people just try to sell sprouts or small immature plants as bonsai to the gullibles.

There was a "flower fare" during the weekend in the Municipality of QuatreBornes and there were several flower stands by various nurseries.

In two of the stands there were nurseries selling "bonsai", one was selling ginseng ficus at a respectable price. Not bonsai quality, but the price was right at Rs700. Rs200~500 would be a right price for the plants in any nursery any other day but they need to make a profit. Apparently they were ginseng roots grafted with a Ficus Benjamina variety.

Those are the ginseng ficus - not the one in the flower fare, but visually the same

The other stand was selling false cypress [ The plant itself is called "false cypress" ] sprouts, normally rs50~rs100 in a nursery, at  rs300~rs700 each. That's 6x or more its normal price, and the same merchant was changing the price every times I passed by that stand and heard visitors asking for a price.





The darker green ones were ranging between rs1200~rs3500 or more. Again when ever I passed by after some time the prices seemed to increase or decrease. Frankly those trees are worth rs150~rs300, I'd even go as far as rs500~rs700 on a sizable one, but not more than rs700.

I tried to ask some questions to get a feel of what he really knew at first but was quickly disgusted.
The recommendation is simply cut the leaves once in a while to keep it "small" and feed here and there.
No precautions about the watering, no information about the repotting, nothing worthwhile to help the user get a bonsai out of those sprouts and starter trees.

Those false cypress and even normal cypress are quite difficult to handle properly as the roots are easily prone to rotting and any starter will be bound to overwater to "prevent" the plant from drying out.
I know a lot of people who bought them and had them die out on them in a matter of months, even when they have quite a successful plant collection.

Clerodendrum Smithianum [ Light Bulb Clerodendrum ] Bonsai 001

The Clerodendrum Smithianum [ Light Bulb Clerodendrum ] Bonsai that I re-potted some months ago is starting to grow new buds. Another issue that's popping up now is that it is showing signs of rotting on some exposed old wood. When the is a heavy rain, the wood gets all spongy and spreads over to the trunk at some areas.

One large branch is growing over two areas containing the more damaged zones, making treatment of those deadwood next to impossible. My only option is to remove that branch in order to reach the damaged areas.

The most damaged area, the branch on the
left is making access to the whole damage area
impossible.

The tree before removing the branch.

To reduce the possibility that the branch snaps along its length,
the branch is being removed in several parts.

The bonsai after removal of the top section of the branch

Top view : The removed branch is in the middle of two "ramifications"

Side view : If that branch had continued
to grow it would have made treatment
of those exposed wood areas next to
impossible.

Removing some more of the branch, bits
by bits.

Nearly there... 

Annnd done... Now to even the cut

Now I get a clearer view of both areas
with the wood exposed

Side view : The branch now removed.

Now to treat the deadwood and shape/carve the current cut.
The current cut will have to allowed to age with the elements before its preserved.

I did not used any "bonsai cut paste" on the cut. I've had mixed results with them, and so far not applying any has provided better healing results.

What is a bonsai?

The usual definition...

The world of bonsai is often shrouded of misconceived concepts for the non-initiates. Entering the world of bonsai is entering the school of life and nature - it is a never ending cycle. Thought I am relatively new to this wonderful world, I will try to explain "What is a bonsai".

Let's first have a quick look at what wikipedia tells you about a "bonsai":

"Bonsai (盆栽 Chinese, Japanese) (lit. plantings in tray, from bon, a tray or low-sided pot and sai, a planting or plantings) is an artistic medium originating in Japan. Broadly speaking it consists of growing a tree or shrub in a container - and shaping it in an aesthetic fashion."


"The word bonsai is often used in English as an umbrella term for all miniature trees in containers or pots."

Sumi-e bonsai painting by Xavier de Lapeyre © Xavier de Lapeyre

Great! So a bonsai is a plant growing in a pot. Simple! Well not really, that's only half the story. A bonsai is much more that simply putting a plant in a pot:



Q. So is a daisy in a pot a bonsai? [That's a plant in a pot!]
A. NO!
Q. Ok, not a daisy, but what about an aloevera in a pot, is it a bonsai? [That's still a plant in a pot!]
A. Still NO!



My definition, as a bonsaist, would be :


A bonsai is an artistic technique of pruning trees so that they attain mature shapes in miniature forms.

Azalea Satsuki 'Subaru' Bonsai by Mariusz Andrzejak © Mariusz Andrzejak

Still loss? Then let's see what does NOT make a bonsai!

That's great, we now know that it's not just a plant, but actually a tree conditioned to be in a small pot and to look like a mature old tree, but that still leaves a lot of non-initiates in a total blank about what a bonsai really is.

Larch group bonsai trees by Ian, member and chairman of Northern Ireland Bonsai Society © Mariusz Andrzejak


Group of trees arranged in a pot to look like mature old trees.

To better clarify, let's look at what a bonsai IS NOT!

1. 
   A bonsai is NOT a tree species!
   
   That's the most common mistake non-initiates make. Bonsai is not a tree species, its an art of growing otherwise normal tree within a small container to resemble an aged tree.
   
2. 
   A bonsai is NOT a shrub!
   It's an actual tree that is kept small through love, attention and pruning. You could use a shrub in a pot to make a bonsai out of it, by shaping it to resemble a tree.
   

   Progression : From "shrub in a pot" to "tree in a pot"!

   
   
   
   Juniper procumbens nana [Late March 2010]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Juniper procumbens nana [Mid April 2010]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Juniper procumbens nana [Mid April 2010]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Juniper procumbens nana [Late April 2010]
   
   
   © Jerry Norbury

3. 
   A bonsai is NOT a stick in a pot!
   Thought it can begin by being a stick in a pot, ultimately it has to become a tree in a pot!
   

   Progression : From "stick in a pot" to "tree in a pot"!

   
   
   
   Picea abies nana [in 2003]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Same Picea abies nana [in 2009]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Same Picea abies nana [in 2011]
   
   
   © Jerry Norbury

4. 
   A bonsai is NOT intended for cultivation of food!
   Though you can use fruit bearing trees [ apples trees, cherry trees, tamarind trees, etc ] to create bonsai and they will bear fruits if well cared for. Be careful of the branches though. The fruits will be real size fruits, not miniature fruits and the weight might break the branches or otherwise damage the tree.
   
5. 
   A bonsai is NOT dwarfing!
   Bonsai does not require genetically dwarfed trees, but instead uses cultivation techniques like pruning, root reduction, potting, defoliation, and grafting to produce small trees that mimic the shape and style of mature, full-size trees. The most common image of a bonsai a non-initiate will have is that of a small palm size tree, but you can have 3 feet high bonsai.
   

   Not a dwarf, but a "wee" tree!

   
   
   
   Zelkova serrata bonsai
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Trident maple bonsai
   
   
   © Chris Guise

6. 
   A bonsai is NOT a starved and tortured tree!
   Many people believe that a bonsai is achieved by starving a tree to keep it small. In fact it is the complete opposite. A bonsai MUST be a tree that is well cared for, in terms of nutriments, water, sunlight, pest-free and weather sheltering to site only the most common factors to cater for. If a bonsaist fails to care for his or her bonsai, it dies. In short a starved or tortured bonsai is a dead bonsai.
   
7. 
   A bonsai is NOT a toy or dead nature object for display!
   A bonsai is a real live tree that needs to be cared for. It needs to be watered! It needs to have sunlight! It needs to be fertilized! And each tree species have different needs and tolerances, some like wet feet [ie you can allow the soil to be damp ] while other do not like wet feet. Some grow better in full sunlight while other needs shade rather than direct sunlight.
   
8. 
   I might add a last point, but this is my personal opinion.
   A bonsai is NOT just a plant in a pot!
   It needs an "artistic" touch added into the overall picture.
   

So now that we have a general idea of what is a bonsai and what is not, lets break the definition of "A bonsai is an artistic technique of pruning trees so that they attain mature shapes in miniature forms." into part to explain further more what a bonsai is:

1. A bonsai is a tree in a miniature form:

A bonsai is created by beginning with what is called a source material. This source material may be obtained via seedling, cutting, by using a small tree suitable for bonsai development that can be obtain in a nursery or by collecting small tree specimens in nature.


Bonsai can be created from nearly any perennial woody-stemmed tree or shrub species that produces true branches and can be cultivated to remain small through pot confinement with crown and root pruning. It usually takes 3 or more years before the source material can be considered a bonsai.


Now, there are some bonsaist who uses succulent species [ like Portulacaria afra a.k.a. Jade Tree ] or even grass species [ like bamboos ]. Some accept it as a natural evolution of bonsai, others more purist regard this practice as misguided [ to be polite ] - Personally I'd tell you to try and see for yourself if its fit for bonsai or not ;)

2. A bonsai is an artistic technique to make a tree in a pot look like a mature full grown tree in a miniature form!

A Wee Tree!

Chinese elm [and ale] by Jerry Norbury © Jerry Norbury

Just the first definition is alright with some people, or for a novice in bonsai. But for the more experienced ones, there is that little something in addition to the simple "tree in a pot", a little something that makes people stop in awe before a bonsai. A bonsai needs to be a piece of ART!

More than a tree, a piece of art!

Bag End trayscape by Chris Guise © Chris Guise

The goal with bonsai is to achieve a desired shape that the bonsaist sees within the source material. This is achieved while balancing the growth above ground with the root growth. The process of shaping begins right away while the tree is very young, and continues while it matures. Small growth can be trimmed away with sharp scissors, but larger branches need a concave cutter which will not leave visible scars. Branches and sometimes even the trunk's flow is redirected to fit the bonsaist vision for the bonsai.

Redirecting flow of the trunk

1. Pinus Mugo – raw / source material






2. Pinus Mugo Bonsai - Wirering






3. Pinus Mugo Bonsai - flow of the trunk redirect!


© Mariusz Andrzejak

Often sketches are made to give direction and vision on how to tackle the source material or an existing bonsai. Those sketches become guidelines through which the bonsaist will make the "tree in a pot" become a "piece of art". The sketches would show the shape envisioned for the bonsai.


John Naka, considered by many as a master, made a series of sketches of his and other people bonsais, he explains:

Sketching has been a way for me to describe what I see because it’s easier for me explain with a pen than with words. I was able to say what I felt when I saw the bonsai material and my vision for the future of the tree. I was able to show the owner of the tree how I saw the tree in five or ten more years.


Source: Web.archive.org

Examples of sketches

Sketch example by Jerry Norbury © Jerry Norbury
Orange : what the owner should aim for, especially if the owner has no prior experience in bonsai!


Blue : what Jerry would aim for, or what the long term target would be!



Sketch example by Jerry Norbury © Jerry Norbury
The red lines show where to cut, and the green zones the expected foliage after regrowth.

---

Sketching and implementing

Sketching the vision for the tree






Implementing the sketch


© Chris Guise

What the bonsai practitioners say about this art!

Walter Pall, one of Europe's leading artists, and is perhaps best known as a pioneer in developing a naturalistic style that makes use of collected native European material says:

A bonsai is a small tree in a container which has soul. It touches your heart, you look at it and you cannot take your eyes off it. It is much more than a plant it is the essence of nature.

Walter Pall has an active blog, updated regularly, that shows the various stages a tree goes through to ultimately become a bonsai: http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/

---

John Naka, considered by many as a master said the following:

"Bonsai is not the result: that comes after. Your enjoyment is what is important"


"It [bonsai] must have philosophy, botany, artistry, human quality behind it to be a bonsai"


"The bonsai is not you working on the tree; you have to have the tree work on you"


Source: Wikipedia

Pius Notter said this:

He [John Naka] opened my eyes to a wonderful and successful way with bonsai: A life dedicated to trees!"
Source: Web.archive.org

---

Masahiko Kimura, renowned bonsai expert says

Every country should see bonsai differently, since bonsai is something that can be easily linked to one’s own culture. So, I would like to see each country develop its own style and people express their own feelings about nature. It would be exciting to me if I saw something new to look at.


Source: Bonsaizenmaster

Here is a video of Masahiko Kimura from YouTube Channel bonsaiculture
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq8eb2XK9Jw&w=560&h=349]

---

Instructor Megumi Bennett describes it as a form of "patience art"

"Bonsai is a patience art, a waiting art, in which you might have to wait three, four, five or 10 years to see the development of a beautiful tree. Just like children."

Listen to what Megumi Bennett has to say about the topic : [ Right-click & Save-as ]

Source: http://www.abc.net.au

---

Peter Parish, member of the Mackay Bonsai Society, says:

"You've got to understand the plants have different requirements of fertilizing, shade and sun... you need to have a reasonable grip on that to be successful..."

"Realistically we tend to put plants into pots too quickly, you're far better off trying to get your plant in a large pot..."

Listen to what Peter Parish has to say about the topic : [ Right-click & Save-as ]

Source: http://www.abc.net.au

Special Thanks!

• Special thanks to WeeTrees for connecting all those "bonsaiholic" together!
• Special thanks to John Farnan for sharing his vast flickr pool on the subject!
• Special thanks to Walter Pall for sharing his view on the subject and for his wonderful blog!
• Special thanks to Mariusz Andrzejak for sharing his vast flickr pool on the subject!
• Special thanks to Jerry Norbury for sharing his vast flickr pool on the subject!
• Special thanks to Chris Guise for sharing his vast flickr pool on the subject!

Sources

• http://weetrees.co.uk - Your one-stop bonsai forum
• John Farnan on Flickr
• Mariusz Andrzejak on Flickr
• Jerry Norbury on Flickr
• Chris Guise on Flickr
• Walter Pall, one of Europe's leading artists
• Wikipedia
• Wikibooks
• Abc.net.au
• Wisegeek