Kei Apple Growth

Lots of new growth on my Kei Apple. 

Bonsai from Seeds

Bonsai does not have to be expensive an expensive hobby. Bonsai trees can be grown from seeds and with a considerable amount of patience and effort, you could be the owner of a prize-winning bonsai that you started from scratch. Now what could be more rewarding than that?

This method not only provides a cheap solution to aquiring your very own bonsai but also the knowledge and satisfaction of knowing that you grew your bonsai from scratch. Starting a bonsai from a seedling is no simple task, after all true beauty and authenticity is never easily achieved. Bonsai is an art form that requires much patience and many, many years of hard work. Some people lack the time and interest to take up bonsai seriously, although I do stress that the reward far exceeds the effort.

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• The first step in raising a bonsai from a seedling is to pick a species that is well suited to the environment you intend to raise it in. Treat it as you would any other living thing, you must nurture and care for it.
• Float the seeds in a tub of water overnight. I have read that the seeds that sink are more likely to survive than the seeds that float. So throw all the floating seeds away. Hopefully this will increase your success rate. 
• Be prepared for failure. Not all your seeds will grow, but always keep in mind that the few that survive might eventually become those incredible prize-winner bonsai.
• Plant the seeds into a growing container- one of those plastic flower containers from the nurseries tend to work well and sprinkle a layer of fertiliser over the top of the planting. 
• Give the seedlings a good watering. You should always keep them moist as drying out could be devastating to the delicate seedlings.  

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Something to remember is that the success of your seedlings will be relative to the effort and time you put into taking care of them. Do not expect to see results immediately as this is a long process. Always remember that there is nothing stopping you from purchasing a bonsai-in-progress or a finished bonsai in the meantime to keep you inspired.

Fig in progress

The first few carves have been completed but there is much work to be done to this tree.

Watering

Bonsai, like any other plant, require moist roots to survive. Therefore, knowing when to water your bonsai is extremely important to sustain a beautiful tree.  Reversely, over-watering can also be incredibly damaging to your bonsai. There are many factors that will influence the time intervals between watering. In fact, correctly watering your bonsai is a skill in itself but hopefully by the end of this article you will have a better understanding of when to water your tree.

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Below are some of the factors that influence watering:

• Soil mixture- the amount of drainage or water retention will affect how often you must water your bonsai (bonsai prefer well draining soil). 

• Plant size and foliage density- the larger your tree the more water it will require, also the more foliage your tree has, the more it will transpire, therefore it will require more frequent watering.

• Fertilizer- as fertilizer is meant to accelerate plant growth it also accelerates the rate at which your soil dries. Therefore depending on the growth rate of your bonsai, you may need to water more frequently. 

• Root rot- if you do happen to over-water your bonsai and you cause root-rot, the rate at which your bonsai absorbs water will be reduced. Therefore your soil will take longer to dry and you should decrease your watering intervals. 

• Sunlight- as the plant and pot are heated by the sun transpiration and evaporation increases, therefore your tree loses more water, faster. If your bonsai gets a lot of sunlight for many hours, you should increase your watering intervals. 

• Humidity- if the humidity of the environment your bonsai grows in is high, your bonsai will lose less water as transpiration is decreased. Therefore, you will have to water less frequently and vice-versa. 

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A general method for testing the dryness of your soil is by sticking your finger about 1cm into the soil. If the top 1cm of soil is dry, you should water your tree. Another method involves sticking a chopstick into the soil, if it comes out and is nearly dry, it is time to water.