Extended season starting trees indoors

Seedlings looking good

These are growing quick.Pines always sprout just fine under intense light!
I believe the CO2 is pumping them up a bit.Stems seem thicker than my last batch ,also more intense color too.These are under 4000k blue enhanced light.The blue will increase the stomata opening to benefit from the CO2 enrichment.

Also transitioning my first two seedling cuttings into more light over the next few days so they can benefit from the CO2.

Potted a few seedling cuttings
Only been five days since I looked last.Was able to get 8 in pots.
I put many back into the dome.They are just starting to root and really nicely too!

Where do you source the seeds you purchase?

Save one for me

LCD35 said:

Where do you source the seeds you purchase?

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fwschumacher is by far the best and most affordable in my opinion.
Here is the product of 1400 seeds planted without any pre-treatment and they sprouted in a little over a week! So tells me they are fresher....especially with an overnight kelp water soak.All of them sank In the kelp water.
$8. For 1400 seeds

Checked on the Re-cut cuttings

I am amazed at how little some of these are and are callousing nicely.Expecting 100% success!
These were cuttings from over 3 weeks ago that did not root because stems dried,so I re-cut them 9 days ago and tore 3-5 needles around the circumference of the base and dipped into Clonex gel.Some are teeny tiny.They are all callousing good.I believe the needle wounds will help in rooting.
They really look good and green in the propogator.It is always between 80-85F in there with vents always closed....had only watered once with ph’d propagation solution from Botanicare (fulvex,liquid karma).
The other treatment they get is a ph’d foliar spray once a week at end of light cycle at lights out .......with fulvex and liquid karma along with Yucca root powder as a wetting agent.This helps a lot I believe.The fulvex gets the Karma product directly into the ions of the leaves within a few hours I was told( low molecular weight fulvic acid).The Karma has kelp cytokines among other things and sends rooting harmones down where they are needed and keeps the cutting pumped up!

Checked on a rooted one and they should all be ready in a few days...lookin’ very nice.

That pic of the cutting with the roots is pretty wild. You really have it dialed in with keeping these happy and healthy. What is your plan after they are a year or two in? Colanders? Field? Nice work!

Pine seedlings growing good

Way more than it looks.Probably over 1000 pines in the pots!
I may sacrifice my deciduous experiments for more Pine seedling cuttings.
Keeping the nutrient solution a very low charge.Future cuttings do not like lots of NPK....less than barely adequate is better.Do better when leaves are not using all the photosynthesis energy to assimilate all the Nitrogen.That way all the energy from photosynthesis goes into stored energy and sugars in the leaves and stems and chemical reactions that produce rooting harmones on there own! Right in the leaves that have a downstream effect in the base.
Weekly foliar sprays of Kelp and Fulvic acid are excellent for these as well as drenching too.
Then you take the cutting at the end of your light cycle when leaves are active and pumped from a day of photosynthesis with energy to sustain your cutting till’ roots form.If you wait to take your cutting till’ morning a lot of the energy will go down to the roots overnight and your cutting could take twice as long to root.

This seems way over my head. Congrats on your success, it is well deserved for all of your hard work.

Nybonsai12 said:

That pic of the cutting with the roots is pretty wild. You really have it dialed in with keeping these happy and healthy. What is your plan after they are a year or two in? Colanders? Field? Nice work!

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Thanks! Yea ,I did some research and payed for a proper growers course and I trust the teachers methods and knowledge.Makes a lot of sense really.
These are all being grown with hopes of selling in Spring season and beyond.I can ship these also,I’m actually a licensed nursery,just have not figured out what to grow yet
10 packs or whatever on eBay.Hopefully not divulging my plans too soon,but it seems to be going well.

Potted a bunch

Potted about twenty.
Look good enough.
The second batch I will cut more stem off and wait a bit longer too before I proceed.

Some Zelkova
Not sure exactly what I want to do with these.It will involve some type of seedling cutting or girdleing.
Feeding a mother plant type extra low nutrient charge with slightly less than adequate nitrogen and trying to keep a 1:1 nitrogen to potassium ratio along with lots of calcium, L amino acids and fulvic acids,compost tea,seaweed and other goodies!!
Will give them strong vascular systems and lots of stored energy and high brix instead of growth.....thats the plan anyway pre-propogation.

What are you using for seedling medium again? Perlite and spagnum?

MrWunderful said:

What are you using for seedling medium again? Perlite and spagnum?

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Yes straight grade #2 perlite for seedlings.Water twice a day with pump sprayer.
Grade#3 perlite when they are more mature and potted up.
Cuttings grade #2 with a sprinkle of shredded orchid spahgnum.
Essentially drain to waste hydro using shop vac to drain my trays.
If going with perlite it is hydro and if using minerals should really ph your water to between 5.8-6.4
Iron and other minerals start to become unavailable above 6.5 and plants suffer.

This is a great course also if want instruction.Can just by singles if you do not want the complete course.

cmeg1 said:

Yes straight grade #2 perlite for seedlings.Water twice a day with pump sprayer.
Grade#3 perlite when they are more mature and potted up.
Cuttings grade #2 with a sprinkle of shredded orchid spahgnum.
Essentially drain to waste hydro using shop vac to drain my trays.
If going with perlite it is hydro and if using minerals should really ph your water to between 5.8-6.4
Iron and other minerals start to become unavailable above 6.5 and plants suffer.

This is a great course also if want instruction.Can just by singles if you do not want the complete course.

Harley Smith Master Growers Video Library

growclasses.npk-industries.com

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Thanks for the resource.
Ive been messing with a venturi and PH down to get my hose water to 6.0.
I had good success with 1:1:1 with sand on top with deciduous seedlings, trying pine this year but not sure if I have the patience for full hydronics!

jealous of your setup though. Im at the point where if I get 5-10 viable seedings into growing pots/bed a year, its still more trees than my wife says I need LOL

God I can't wait till Spring. I want these.

PABonsai said:

God I can't wait till Spring. I want these.

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Awesome! I know I’ll have a bunch of the Pine.

cmeg1 said:

Awesome! I know I’ll have a bunch of the Pine.

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I might have to get more than I can handle.

Grow quickly

This is the seedling I have been testing different nutrient strengths and light intensity on since the beginning.
It is only two days shy of 6 weeks( not a cutting).Has lots of mature needles popping out.Thats pretty fast for mature needles.
Color looks good and I expect growth rate and color on this second batch to be even better since co2 from beginning and I’ve dialed in a few things.

The 2nd seedlings are already elongating at only 8days.