Total newbie to bonsai and advice needed

AstroNebulee

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Forgive my ignorance on Bonsai and a daft question ensuing. I received a bonsai grown your own kit for a birthday and since planting the sees I have had 3 of the trees, saplings? Germinate a sprout to become the saplings they are now. I will take 2 of of the pot and replant in seperate pots to give away but I'm wondering how do I go about culturing my bonsai tree with care, sculpting it and so on. The sapling is around 9 inches tall on a single stem and many side shoots coming off.
Where do I go from here, do I let it continue to grow higher on the single stem or pinch out the tip?any general advice needed and forgive my ignorance, I can only presume its a fir tree of some type too. They are around a year old and currently in my bathroom in a east facing window, I water regularly in the summer and I live in Cornwall UK. My main passion is Astronomy and more so Astrophotography, the bonsai will keep me amused during cloudy skies.
Thank you
Lee
 

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Shibui

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They look like some sort of pine and I'm amazed you've managed to keep them alive indoors for a whole year. Conifers don't usually do well without direct sun.

There's no one way to develop a bonsai.
Some growers start pruning early and continue pruning as needed but that always slows the growth so the trunk will remain thin for many years.
Some growers allow the seedlings to grow untrimmed in larger pots or even in the garden until the trunk has developed and grown thick enough to be impressive then chop and start developing branches. Need to take care with this approach as some trees cannot bud on older, bare wood.
Some growers use a combination of the above, allowing some strong growth to thicken the trunks while pruning occasionally or pruning certain areas to manage growth that will eventually become the bonsai.

All this is documented in many places far better than I can say in a single post. You'll need to do some searching to find some info that will help.
 

Potawatomi13

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No species ID on seed kit? Pines need to be outside 365 days a year to survive, grow properly. Decide size of trunk desired and grow tree until this size reached before hacking, wiring, butchering innocent tree;). Give tree plenty Sun keep largely inorganic substrate damp. Not dry or wet please.
 

AstroNebulee

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Thank you very much to both of you for your kind help and what needs to be done. I shall get the saplings transplanted and left outside permanently, I live in 1st floor flat so no real outside space, so will give 2 away and try to find somewhere for mine to stay outside.
Thank you again they have done really well for being inside.
There was no I'd on the seed packet as it was a mixed seed packet in a kit.
At least I have more knowledge of my bonsai than I did before, thank you.
Lee
 

rockm

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Thank you very much to both of you for your kind help and what needs to be done. I shall get the saplings transplanted and left outside permanently, I live in 1st floor flat so no real outside space, so will give 2 away and try to find somewhere for mine to stay outside.
Thank you again they have done really well for being inside.
There was no I'd on the seed packet as it was a mixed seed packet in a kit.
At least I have more knowledge of my bonsai than I did before, thank you.
Lee
FWIW, you will not actually be doing much "bonsai" work on these for quite some time. You will be growing out a decent trunk that can eventually become a bonsai...FWIW, the majority of bonsai are not really purpose-grown from seeds, but rather larger trees from sources like the wild, nurseries and home/building landscapes where their trunks have been significantly reduced and adapted to bonsai. So, basically, in star gazing terms, you have a toy telescope. There is an entire world beyond what you can accomplish with that material.

Bonsai requires a substantial (or substantial looking) trunk to begin work. Seedlings don't have the visual "weight" to become bonsai for the most part. Bonsai kits don't elaborate on this and sell themselves based on the assumption of beginners that bonsai are grown from seeds. The kits are aimed at getting suppliers a fast buck or two. The buyer, however, is left with stuff that really won't work out into bonsai for 10-20 years (if the buyer retains interest).

That said, the kits also offer a gateway into the bonsai world that can be developed. You are constrained by limited space (indoors and outdoors). That situation limits what you can grow effectively. "Indoor" bonsai are not indoor adapted, but uses tree material that can handle the harsh indoor environment (extremely low light, low humidity, lack of air circulation) Ficus, schefflera and a few other hardy tropical tree species can be kept indoor successfully and are extremely forgiving in their care. They also develop rather quickly as there is no dormancy period as many "outdoor" temperate species (maple, elm and possibly some conifers) require.

You successfully grown these seedlings indoor, but the result is a long spindly trunk that will remain mostly useless for bonsai for some time to come.

If you're interested in doing bonsai, I'd encourage you to get an actual "indoor" bonsai--ficus, schefflera or evn a Chinese Elm (if you can provide adequate supplemental lighting indoors. Those species will require actual bonsai care, repotting, pruning and design.
 

AstroNebulee

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FWIW, you will not actually be doing much "bonsai" work on these for quite some time. You will be growing out a decent trunk that can eventually become a bonsai...FWIW, the majority of bonsai are not really purpose-grown from seeds, but rather larger trees from sources like the wild, nurseries and home/building landscapes where their trunks have been significantly reduced and adapted to bonsai. So, basically, in star gazing terms, you have a toy telescope. There is an entire world beyond what you can accomplish with that material.

Bonsai requires a substantial (or substantial looking) trunk to begin work. Seedlings don't have the visual "weight" to become bonsai for the most part. Bonsai kits don't elaborate on this and sell themselves based on the assumption of beginners that bonsai are grown from seeds. The kits are aimed at getting suppliers a fast buck or two. The buyer, however, is left with stuff that really won't work out into bonsai for 10-20 years (if the buyer retains interest).

That said, the kits also offer a gateway into the bonsai world that can be developed. You are constrained by limited space (indoors and outdoors). That situation limits what you can grow effectively. "Indoor" bonsai are not indoor adapted, but uses tree material that can handle the harsh indoor environment (extremely low light, low humidity, lack of air circulation) Ficus, schefflera and a few other hardy tropical tree species can be kept indoor successfully and are extremely forgiving in their care. They also develop rather quickly as there is no dormancy period as many "outdoor" temperate species (maple, elm and possibly some conifers) require.

You successfully grown these seedlings indoor, but the result is a long spindly trunk that will remain mostly useless for bonsai for some time to come.

If you're interested in doing bonsai, I'd encourage you to get an actual "indoor" bonsai--ficus, schefflera or evn a Chinese Elm (if you can provide adequate supplemental lighting indoors. Those species will require actual bonsai care, repotting, pruning and design.
Thank you, all good advuce and I knew it wouldn't be a quick thing growing from seed 😊, at least I've grown 3 nice little saplings and even if I just plant them outsixe somewhere, I've helped reduce co2 levels by three little trees worth😊, I will look at the proper indoor bonsai, thank you 👍
 

AstroNebulee

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I've translated them to new pots and put 2 of them outside now, will keep one indoors where they germinated as a trial for now to see how it fares. If nothing else I've got some nice adornment to my communal doorway now 😊
Lee
 

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bbk

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Congrats

The mere fact you have grown these from seeds shows you have both the skill and the patience.

As @rockm says it is a perfectly valid gateway in. We all started somewhere. My story is different, but similar. I got one prebonsai to develop. It turned out quite well and I was hooked, mainly because I realised there was a lot of sitting around doing nothing with one plant.

My point really is, you have done well and already learnt a lot. I can’t add much here but enjoy. It really is a moment of zen (at least before you are told you are enjoying it wrong!)
 

AstroNebulee

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Congrats

The mere fact you have grown these from seeds shows you have both the skill and the patience.

As @rockm says it is a perfectly valid gateway in. We all started somewhere. My story is different, but similar. I got one prebonsai to develop. It turned out quite well and I was hooked, mainly because I realised there was a lot of sitting around doing nothing with one plant.

My point really is, you have done well and already learnt a lot. I can’t add much here but enjoy. It really is a moment of zen (at least before you are told you are enjoying it wrong!)
Thank you, it's just a nut if fun to see what I could achieve and as long as I can survive into my retirement years (17 to go) it'll be an achievement that I grew it from seed. I like a challenge and grew a cactus from seed over 12 years ago, so I've patience.
Good luck with your journey.

Lee
 

AstroNebulee

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Thank you, it's just a bit of fun to see what I could achieve and as long as I can survive into my retirement years (17 to go) it'll be an achievement that I grew it from seed. I like a challenge and grew a cactus from seed over 12 years ago, so I've patience.
Good luck with your journey.

Lee
 

OTown

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Dam...you've got some skill to grow three pine seedlings indoor like that. As others have said, very impressive.

FWIW these look like Aleppo pine (Pinus Halepensis). They are a fairly common European species from the Mediterranean area.
 

AstroNebulee

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Dam...you've got some skill to grow three pine seedlings indoor like that. As others have said, very impressive.

FWIW these look like Aleppo pine (Pinus Halepensis). They are a fairly common European species from the Mediterranean area.
Thank you, that's very kind of you. I shall look up the species now I know what they are 👍
Lee
 
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