名媛直播

Good afternoon everyone,

First time growing a bonsai so not too sure what I am doing. I lost my 'instruction manual' and am kind of guessing the rest away. This bonsai has been in the fridge, although the shoots grew before placing it in there for the recommended 6 weeks.

I have noticed mold/fur growing on an old shoot that must've died, but not too sure whether I should be repotting? The main shoot would hardly have any roots (I imagine) and could cause damage.

Is it normal for the pot to look like this?

Thanks for any help

Cameron

Not a reply to you, I know (and sorry if you feel this is an annoying comment or that I'm attacking you: trust me this is not the case), but I really do fail to see why

• one should start growing pines from seed knowing it will take 15 years before you can do anything with it
• in an artificial environment (in the fridge, really?)
• without the horticultural knowledge to do it
• while calling it "a bonsai"

Then the next question is why one would ask support on how to raise a seedling from scratch on a forum about bonsai, an activity that revolves entirely about shaping grown trees instead of -say- a generic gardening forum...

Really, doing bonsai has literally nothing to do with anything you're doing at the moment...
Nothing :dry:

Sorry for the rant.

I will try to translate Bofhskull's rant ( next time it will be him translating mine ...).

From your post:

-"First time growing a bonsai": you are growing a plant/tree that , in 15-20 years will possibly become a bonsai if given the proper care. So, you planted normal tree/pine seed, which will become a normal full grown tree. If you want to make a bonsai out of it you will have to use a multitude of techniques, all on specific times and moments during the year, and this during decades
-"This bonsai has been in the fridge": the pine seed is in the fridge- see above
- "I have noticed mold/fur growing on an old shoot that must've died". Of course, you have kept it inside, in the fridge...
- "Is it normal for the pot to look like this?" Looks like what?


A few horticultural questions that i'm not going to answer, but that can help you in your journey:
-why did you put them in the fridge?( and no the answer is not because it said so on the box they came in)
- are seeds in nature sprouting now/which season do they sprout?
- do pine trees/trees in general live indoors?

In general : we get 100's of these same questions here, only a few of us answer them , so sometimes one gets a bit annoyed ( next time it will be me...)

It appears one has walked right in amongst an angry lions den, what a wonderful warm welcome.

I bought a box online and have little/no knowledge of bonsai or trees of any kind, hence why I looked online for some guidance. I am afraid that the only reason the little guy went into the fridge is, well, the box told the guy with no prior knowledge to do just that. If I buy a wardrobe, say from IKEA, I don't expect to know much about assembling wardrobes... I just follow the manual.

Granted - it seems 名媛直播 isn't actually a tree at all, it is just a little tree that has been made to grow that way. I am happy to trim the bush if it gets too out-of-control, I guess I accepted that I would be nursing this bad boy until it was big enough to do it's thing.

Looking online it appears that there are no real self-help forums to get my little guy into a slightly bigger little guy. The honest question was whether I should re-pot him, or if I just keep a tentative eye over him but wait until the Spring until I do anything else. I appreciate that you guys will receive posts like this all the time, but then again, one would think that helping a fellow tree-lover would in turn release some form of dopamine. Almost like a "hey look at this noob, well here ya go buddy, on your way".

Perhaps in future just copy & paste whatever advice you gave the last sorry guy who doesn't know what he is doing. I won't read through all the other noob's posts and I would think you were pretty cool for lending a hand.

So, if I have got this correct, your advice is to wait 15 years?

Cameron

CameronF wrote: So, if I have got this correct, your advice is to wait 15 years?

Cameron

Not at all:
- your tree needs to be outside, or it wont even make next spring ( unless its well below zero in your part of the world).
- you started in the wrong season so you are already in trouble ( to continue with your ikea thought: when you dont have a clue, you could ask someone who has some knowledge to assemble whatever you want to assemble). Repot in spring if necessary
-" trim the bush" ... as i said: turning a tree into a bonsai takes a multitude of techniques on specific times, which i am not going to start explaining, would take me about a year to type out just the basics....
-There are no "self help forums" for bonsai because it is just impossible due to the vastness of the knowledge needed.

CameronF wrote: Perhaps in future just copy & paste whatever advice you gave the last sorry guy who doesn't know what he is doing. I won't read through all the other noob's posts and I would think you were pretty cool for lending a hand.

So, if I have got this correct, your advice is to wait 15 years?

Cameron

Yeah, no, and sorry, but as I said this was not really ranting at you, but rather just venting out frustration about this state of things, for which you're not responsible at all. At best you're a victim of those who keep selling misleading things like "bonsai kits" to people.


Fact is (and don't get me wrong) the chances of that little fella surviving the next 2 or 3 years are probably 5% at best.

And not because you're inexperienced and doing things wrong, really (although you'd agree that certainly doesn't help), but 'cause that's how trees and nature work: a pine drops hundreds or thousands of seeds, of which a few actually make it into actual trees.

And your questions are good questions indeed, but as a matter of fact not many here (or, I'd say, in the bonsai enthusiasts community in general) would be able to provide good reliable guidance the way you seek it: we usually pick up plants to work on when they are (in the case of pines) at least 10+ years old.

Those who do start bonsai from scratch as a job, certainly don't do anything like what you're doing either: they plant hundreds of seeds in the ground and then pick up and start taking care of those that make it towards adulthood. That is a lot more similar to how nature does it and certainly doesn't involve putting a seed in a pot and closing it in the fridge.

Your best chance to let that tree survive is try to place it in the environment closest to its natural habitat (that, again, is not your fridge nor your balcony, but in a field under the sun), water it when it needs it and wish it good luck.
Lacking horticultural background means that any goodwilled action you're going to add has higher chance to kill it than making any good.

My opinion. From someone who did try raising pines from seed too, in the past (and failed with all the 8 I sowed).

Growing pines from seed is hard and not something for beginners.

Growing pines from seeds from a bonsai kit stored in a warehouse for Good knows how long is even harder. Combined with sowing in authumn I would say impossible.

Sorry, but you are a victim of a fraud. If you lost the instructions or not would proboably make no difference.

Wellcome to bonsai empire! If you would like to learn bonsai this is a good place to start. Buy a good book and start study . When spring comes you will know what to look for to get a decent starter material. You can find them in specialiced bonsai stores, in garden centers and if legal in your Country in the closest Forest.

Hi, congratulations on getting these seeds to germinate. With these pre-packaged "bonsai grow kits" it is often hit or miss how they have been stored, and many before you have realized growing these seeds into seedlings can be a challenge.

You have 1 healthy, 1 dying and 1 dead seedling.

You must have realized now: You are in an unlucky period of the year to grow seeds. Unless you have some fancy equipment, it is best to try to get these outside and dormant for spring.

What is the weather & 4 week forecast on your end?