Experiment

[dani]

Morning folks (although it's probably night for most of you!).
Today I decided to show you my little experiment. Now, before someone attacks me, it's just an experiment to see how it goes.

Last November I gathered some seeds from the local park and planted them (interesting enough, only this one had success). The goal for one particular tree (I think it's an acer of some sort, but not sure) is to grow it in a tiny pot with holes, let the root system grow and keep the roots growing in a water (in a container, there's a space between the water and the pot, so the pot isn't soaked in the water all the time). I've seen this done in a video on Youtube, so, I wanted to give it a try myself. Now, the growing part is slow, but its still growing so I don't mind.

The point is to get the root system developed, then it will escape the pot and sink in the water. So far there are no escaping roots (I repotted it once because the previous pot was extremely small and i wanted to give it a little more space, so I'm waiting to see escaping roots again), but when they do show, sink in and reach the bottom of the container, I'd cut them (they are just sacrificial roots). Some people claim roots grow faster in water than soil (so, I'd like to test that). The jar is also wrapped in paper so when the roots escape the pot they won't be affected by the sunlight. Nothing too crazy so far, but the plant looks healthy.

I've added some photos to show you what it looks like right now.
PS: It's 3+ months old

 

[ajm55555]

Not a maple as far as I can see.
If it's not a species that can live with roots soaked in water, they will rot at some point, cause if the soil is in contact with water all the time it will suck it up all the time.

 

[dani]

As I mentioned, there's a gap between the water and the soil, so the soil isn't sink in the water all the time. As for the species, I'm not really sure what it is. We'll see how it will react to the roots being in water once it reaches that level of its development

 

[ajm55555]

there's a gap between the water and the soil, so the soil isn't sink in the water all the time

Then you should not write "keep the roots growing in (a) water".

 

[dani]

Then you should not write "keep the roots growing in (a) water".

Ah, I think there's an misunderstanding here. The roots that would come out of the pot will BE in the water, but the pot with the soil itself won't be. I hope that clears it out

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Fox grape or wild grape? I think the hydroponic setup could work. I was just thinking how bad I was with seeds and I remembered I had a volunteer oak seedling pop-up in my hydroponic ficus enclosure, which has seemed to enjoy the hydroponic setup speaking to it’s suitability for more than just ficus.
I collected two batches of eastern hemlock seeds this past fall that I am crossing my fingers I get at least a couple sprouts from in the spring.

 

[dani]

Fox grape or wild grape? I think the hydroponic setup could work. I was just thinking how bad I was with seeds and I remembered I had a volunteer oak seedling pop-up in my hydroponic ficus enclosure, which has seemed to enjoy the hydroponic setup speaking to it’s suitability for more than just ficus.
I collected two batches of eastern hemlock seeds this past fall that I am crossing my fingers I get at least a couple sprouts from in the spring.

Oh, it's not a grape type for sure. Fingers crossed for your seeds! ??

 

[Clicio]

Today I decided to show you my little experiment.

nice setup.
I am interested in see the progression of this seedling, will you keep us posted, @dani ?

 

[dani]

nice setup.
I am interested in see the progression of this seedling, will you keep us posted, @dani ?

Thank you! And yes, absolutely! I hope there are a lot of upcoming updates on this! )

 

[dani]

Update: More leaves are developing. I still believe this is some sort of a maple (?!). There are no escaping roots yet (which kind of surprises me to be honest) but I think the warmth and humidity in the green house is definitely helping the plant to grow faster.

 

[twisted trees]

Morning folks (although it's probably night for most of you!).
Today I decided to show you my little experiment. Now, before someone attacks me, it's just an experiment to see how it goes.

Last November I gathered some seeds from the local park and planted them (interesting enough, only this one had success). The goal for one particular tree (I think it's an acer of some sort, but not sure) is to grow it in a tiny pot with holes, let the root system grow and keep the roots growing in a water (in a container, there's a space between the water and the pot, so the pot isn't soaked in the water all the time). I've seen this done in a video on Youtube, so, I wanted to give it a try myself. Now, the growing part is slow, but its still growing so I don't mind.

The point is to get the root system developed, then it will escape the pot and sink in the water. So far there are no escaping roots (I repotted it once because the previous pot was extremely small and i wanted to give it a little more space, so I'm waiting to see escaping roots again), but when they do show, sink in and reach the bottom of the container, I'd cut them (they are just sacrificial roots). Some people claim roots grow faster in water than soil (so, I'd like to test that). The jar is also wrapped in paper so when the roots escape the pot they won't be affected by the sunlight. Nothing too crazy so far, but the plant looks healthy.

I've added some photos to show you what it looks like right now.
PS: It's 3+ months old

Looks like a poplar.

 

[dani]

Looks like a poplar.

Hmmm, could be. Yes, I'm not sure, I think we'd have to wait to develop more and figure it out then. Right now, I'm really not sure. It's from the near park, I picked the seeds from there. That's all I know

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

In many ways, bonsai could be compatible with hydroponics, Do explore the possibilities. Especially bringing seedlings and nursery stock up to pre-bonsai size. Once a tree is ready to actually style as bonsai, hydroponics is probably out of the question.

The goal of bonsai is display. A bonsai tree should evoke an image, or feeling that one would experience in nature. It is not a literal image, but rather an abstract image. A feeling, emotion, a memory or an actual scene from nature should be the response a viewer has when looking at a well done bonsai tree. Bonsai pots are the shapes they are because they are used in a manner somewhat like a frame, The shape of the pot helps to set the location or the sense of location for the image or feeling the tree is supposed to evoke. At this point, hydroponics, and the use of clunky reservoir containers and ungainly plastic net pots are no longer used.

But until the tree is ready to style - go ahead and grow it out, by any means you like to try.

By the way, the first set of true leaves does indeed look like a maple. You know what tree you gathered your seed from, you can always go back to it to double check your identification. You don't need people guessing from a photo of a very immature seedling that is not showing normal mature leaves.

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Looks like a poplar.

Second that

 

[dani]

Update: the plant is growing. The top set of leaves is changing its color. It’s Spring here. The plant stays in a green house and I water it with a diluted NPK fertilizer. The weather is getting warmer so I’ll get it out of the green house (but keep it in during the night, it still gets a lil chilly).

As for identifying, maybe it’s a poplar. No escaping roots yet

 

[Potawatomi13]

Tree appears as a Sycamore or Maple. However whatever it is should be outdoors as is not an indoor(tropical)tree and will not grow properly or will die.

 

[dani]

Tree appears as a Sycamore or Maple. However whatever it is should be outdoors as is not an indoor tree and will not grow properly or will die.

it feels like everybody has a different opinion on the species To be honest, I'm new to bonsai so, I'd take an advice easily! I will keep it outside. Thank you

 

[just.wing.it]

It definitely looks like an American Sycamore leaf, to me too.... though I've never seen one grow from a seed...not sure.

 

[AlainK]

It looks like a maple to me. Hard to tell which species right now, all the more than it's kept indoors so the colours are probably paler than they would look if cutivated outside.

It could be a Norway maple, or any other species of maple, perhaps you should search what species are common where you live. At first the leaves reminded me of some Acer truncatum that I sowed two years ago, but I checked the photos I took and they're actually a bit different:





This being said, the leaves on a seedling and a more mature plant can look slightly different. The same ones a year later:

 

[dani]

I think it's an Acer of some sort because I DO remember I had planted one of those "helicopter" like seeds

There were more seeds, this is why I'm not confident, but i think it's acer. Probably sycamore