It’s been 10 days since I started the process of planting bonsai seeds, and I have a few sprouts. So far I have one locust and three pigeon peas. The locust actually started sprouting in my closet, where I had them sitting for the first few days to germinate. We had a few really cold days here, and the linen closet was the warmest place in the house. It conveniently traps heat from the space heater we keep in the hallway. The instructions said they didn’t need light at this point, but needed extra heat, so it was the best place for them.

After those first few days, I put them on a bookshelf with some cheap grow lights I bought. I thought about putting them in the window, but that would be much colder. Plus, I tend to forget about things I don’t see all the time. Having the grow lights turn on and off automatically in the middle of my living room ensures they get the light they need and I don’t forget to check if they need water.

The instruction booklet says these should be re-potted at between 15 and 30 days. The company that makes the kit has a sprouting guarantee, promising a refund if the seeds don’t sprout after 30 days. I’m not really sure what the process for that will be, since this is a gift, but I might have to look into it. I do have lots of extra seeds for everything except the delonix regia, so I might try planting them again, maybe when the weather warms up a bit in the next month or two.

I have been doing some research, since the instructions that came with this kit only covers the first month of growing, not what to do after that.

I discovered that the bonsai world largely sees these kits as scams because until it becomes an actual tree (which takes years) you’re not really practicing bonsai techniques, you’re just growing a plant. Most bonsais are grown from nursery stock, purchased as a small tree ready to be pruned and shaped.

I’m considering buying nursery stock now so I can start learning bonsai techniques sooner, but I’ll keep trying to grow these seeds, since I have them already.

The other thing I learned is that the pigeon pea is not necessarily a good candidate for bonsai, but is easy to grow in a wide variety of conditions, which is why it is normally included in kits like this one. Apparently it has pretty flowers and edible seeds, so even if it doesn’t become a proper bonsai, I think it will be good as a house plant.

What else… oh, a lot of trees really need to be outside in the sun, not just in a window or under grow lights. Some tropical trees do well enough indoors, but some really need full sun and seasonal changes to thrive. That’s something I have to research more to make sure the species I already have are getting what they need, and to take into consideration if I decide to buy nursery stock.

I don’t really have a good place to put planters outside right now. I can make it work for the plants I have already if I really need to, but if I buy nursery stock I’ll definitely be looking for something that can thrive indoors.

I think that’s it for now, I probably won’t have another bonsai blog post until I start re-potting these. If you follow me on Bsky, you might see an extra update or two before then, depending on how excited I am about how they’re growing.

Squeeze the day!
~Lauren