名媛直播

Hi! I'm new here.

LEVEL: Beginner!

You probably get this a lot and I can appreciate that as I work on other sites giving advice on pro music equipment and other things.

I bought a bonsai growing kit, this is what it told me at the start:

They told me: Sow the seeds into the soil (provided) in the small soft pots (provided), put each pot in a bag (provided) with holes pierced in, put in a cool light dry place for 2 to 3 weeks. Don't put in direct sunlight as the soil may dry out, and the seed may die. (I'm summarising here)
I did: Sowed the seeds in the pots and soil, put them in bags, pierced them about 20 times each (by stabbing with leaf cutters), put them on my cool windowsill covered by paper (to protect from the winter sunlight) for 2 weeks. I opened the bags and added some drops of water if the topsoil was getting dry.

Problem: They started to grow some fine-haired mould on the soil and green mould on the sides of the pots. I only noticed it on the final day of the 2 weeks.

Now it's time to put them (9 all together) in the fridge for cold stratification. I'm worried about the mould and I checked the real temp of my fridge draw and it's -1 deg C (One below freezing) which is apparently 30.2 deg F. I'm afraid it's too cold. Also, do I water them before they go in? I'm a real noob at this!

Some of the trees are for my little girl and I really don't want to disappoint her, she likes growing stuff and I don't want to put her off.

Thanks.

What species are the seeds?

mold is caused by too much humidity

Hi there. There are 6 different species in the 9 pots;
Red Leaf Maple
Judas Tree
Japanese Cedar
Italian Cypress
Dwarf Mountain Pine
Chinese Wisteria

I can't edit the OP
I checked the temp in the fridge draw again and it was 4 dg C this time. I think it depends on the temp of the house too.
Also, the mould seems to have stopped growing in the fridge.

This is a pic the booklet with instructions:

[quote="n00dles post=74859 userid=47386"I did: Sowed the seeds in the pots and soil, put them in bags, pierced them about 20 times each (by stabbing with leaf cutters), put them on my cool windowsill covered by paper (to protect from the winter sunlight) for 2 weeks. I opened the bags and added some drops of water if the topsoil was getting dry.

Problem: They started to grow some fine-haired mould on the soil and green mould on the sides of the pots. I only noticed it on the final day of the 2 weeks.

Now it's time to put them (9 all together) in the fridge for cold stratification. [/quote]

I find the order of potting up the seeds, putting them in bags, put them into the window for 2weeks, and now in the freeze a bit strange. I would have started with cold stratification first. And then after a few weeks in the frigde i would have potted them up.

For all species you mentioned is cold stratification needed (i think).

If you want no mold, then remove the plastic bag. Maybe use a propengator, and keep humidity/temp in check, by opening the vents. And don't soak soil, moist is good, wet is bad.
Or sow those species directly in containers outside. I usually do this, and you don't have to do anything for it for months. They germinate in the right season. Easy way.

Rorror wrote:

I find the order of potting up the seeds, putting them in bags, put them into the window for 2weeks, and now in the freeze a bit strange. I would have started with cold stratification first.

That's the first thing that confused me! Everywhere I checked, cold stratification came first.

I got some seeds left, I might try what you said with them, get something to sow them in outside, while it's winter. See if they germinate on their own.

So do I need to water the ones I have in the fridge?

n00dles wrote:

I got some seeds left, I might try what you said with them, get something to sow them in outside, while it's winter. See if they germinate on their own.

So do I need to water the ones I have in the fridge?

It is what I do. I just let the seeds follow the natural rythm. Makes no sense to me to put things in a fridge if I have the natural winter outside.

As for the warm period: Yes, some seeds to require warm before cold. (Again, if you plant outside, nature will sort this out)



In the fridge, same as out the fridge: The seeds should never dry out, but certainly not be soaking wet. Just damp is enough untill the first roots come out, at which point water use will increase and you have to be more vigilant..

I don't go in the fridge, I sow in sand (quarry yellow) I smell it sifted in a pot or planter, I cover with a good cm and I place it all at the foot of a wall facing north

sycamore maple