Bonsai newbie

[Darkskywalker]

I'm just starting this hobby, I have very little growing experience. I do have small pond with various perennials. I just started a bonsai kit with 4 different trees, got them planted. Now I want to start some Cherry Blossoms and Junipers. I ordered seeds, but I am have trouble finding the righr soil to use. I see Bonsai soil on Amazon, but some of reviews say it looks like plain potting soil. Can anyone recommend type of soil and a good place to buy? Also what kind of fertilizer should I use on the Cherry Blossoms? The Cherry Blossoms are what I really want to grow. Any advice for a noob would be appreciated.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Greetings, Stranger. Glad you found the “message in a bottle”, pitched to the tide by the Woody Dwarves. Beckoning you here, to the Tiny Forest.

Ok... let’s get some preliminary “mumbo jumbo” RIGHT out of the way.

You are going to want to update your profile to reflect a location or climate zone. (It can be vague, mine just says, “Northeastern Wisconsin”) this way advice given will be pertinent to YOUR situation... ‘tis a large world.

What trees do you have already?

Where are you keeping them?

Seed-growing is a very long, TRULY rewarding process... it will be important for you to get yourself some OTHER trees to work on... or you possibly may “love” your seedlings to death.

What is the area you will be “doing plants“ in?

A “potting-soil”-type substrate will work fine for sprouting seeds.. but it is not BONSAI soil (solely bonsai soil isn’t the greatest for germinating seeds, from MY experiences)... Bonsai soil is.. different.. most people highly-inorganic, mineral particulates as soil... Most people have what they PREFER (usually what works best in their climate, with the amount of care they can provide)
Many mix their own (Myself included) and have their own recipes and ratios geared towards certain needs.

Run a youtube search for “Bonsai Soil”.. there should probably be some good information to “in/digest”... but normally.. EVERYONE would answer your “Soil” question at LEAST slightly different.

 

[Darkskywalker]

I'm across the state from you, lol, Northwestern Wisconsin.
Here's pics of 4 I just started from a kit, 1 started last month, and seeds I just ordered.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Oooh you’re cooold! Zone 4?

Another icicle-person, YAY!

I had that same kit! None of mine are still living.. but I was... unprepared. We learn.

It’s almost collection time for us Northern folks.. well.. we COULD collect now.. buuut my ground is pretty frozen..

Do you live in the awesome part of Wisconsin that’s like ALL parks and Native American land?

Also.. consider picking up some cheap nursery stock to “go to town”... get your TinyTree “sea-legs”

 

[Cadillactaste]

Welcome to the hobby...I've not grown from seed...but you remind me a friend sent me seeds...I am not sure what I did with them. I most likely should attempt to grow them...to say I did. But you got great advice above...you should get some material you can work now. Now...Smoke/Al here tosses screen over his seedlings to give them movement in their tiny start on life so they aren't poker straight trunks. For most like movement in a bonsai. Just tossing that out there...for when they start to grow.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Welcome to the hobby...I've not grown from seed...but you remind me a friend sent me seeds...I am not sure what I did with them. I most likely should attempt to grow them...to say I did. But you got great advice above...you should get some material you can work now. Now...Smoke/Al here tosses screen over his seedlings to give them movement in their tiny start on life so they aren't poker straight trunks. For most like movement in a bonsai. Just tossing that out there...for when they start to grow.

Screen-training is AWESOME! I, for what it’s worth, Also recommend it..

That’s Al for ya... blowing your mind, while flipping you the bird!

Just rustlin’ your spuds, @Smoke ..

If you ever want to take a GREAT “dive”... read Al’s blogs.. as many as you can.

If we all spent a little more time giving our seedlings THIS attention... the market would be flooded with GREAT trees in the near future.

California Bonsai Art

............ Live from the Bonsai Bunker

bonsaial.wordpress.com

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Welcome aboard and good growing to you!

Screen growing is a really cool technique!

I also recommend you look for some young stock to work with. That way you are able to learn your techniques twice as fast.

Cheers
DSD sends

PS: The way you enter your approximate location/USDA growing zone is to double tap your icon and enter the appropriate info. Exact location is not necessary.

 

[Darkskywalker]

Thanks for all the info and help. When you say young stock, how old of a tree do you mean?

 

[RJG2]

Thanks for all the info and help. When you say young stock, how old of a tree do you mean?

What you're really shopping for are larger trunks with a good root spread - those two features take the longest to grow.

Once you have that, you can start on the rest. Keep reading posts here, and you'll soon have a good idea on next steps.

Local nurseries will have stuff hardy to your location, so look around, then search here for species you see that interest you.

Pro tip: in google, search like this:

site:bonsainut.com search terms

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

A couple rambling thoughts...

If it was me, being a newbie myself, I’d get a variety of ages, between 1-6 years, perhaps in a year or two - even older depending on how ambitious and eager you are to learn.

Plan projects and styling techniques to practice on. Single tree, multiple tree and forest are good starting points. Do them. Work your way up into an actual Bonsai.

For me learning proper basic horticulture is first and foremost, followed closely by styling with emphasis on proper root structure.

The practical work is where you learn the most, but you have to get access to good instruction too.

Cheers
DSD sends