Tree seeds are good for bonsai for:
Cheap method to get a species not available locally
Tree seeds are useful for a bonsai adept as it is a cheap way to obtain exotic species stock that are not available locally. With tree seeds being easily and cheaply shipped across the globe, under reserve of importing laws of your country, it is a great and easy way to get new material at a fraction of the cost of a tree. You can now get some trees from around the planet in your bonsai tree collection.
Cheap method to obtain a lot of young trees
Tree seeds are a cheap way to create an instant and big collection of trees to care and maintain. Sowing seeds does not take a lot of place, as a tray of 36 or even 72 places can be used for starting multiple seedlings of multiple species. Then, you can transfer your seedlings in a larger container or even a field to speed up the growth.
Growing Seedlings for long term project
If you have lots of time ahead of you and are a patient person, growing a tree from a seed is a great way to eventually grow a great bonsai tree. Growing a bonsai tree from seeds is the most rewarding method as you have grown your bonsai tree from start and have created and control all aspects of its growth. For example, controlling the creation of a great
nebari from the beginning is the essential way to have some radial surface when the bonsai tree achieves maturity.
As a long term project, seeds can be sowed while working on other bonsai project. For example, while you perfect your collection over the years, these tree seeds will eventually grow as some decent and workable bonsai material. Growing seedlings doesn’t need much care over the growing season.
Growing seedling for grafting
Tree seeds are a fast way to create some seedlings that can be used to further develop an existent bonsai tree. For example, you can thread graft a seedling in a particular spot to have a branch at that desired spot. Same can be done with a seedling to correct some lacking surface roots.
Growing small bonsai tree in a few years
Tree seeds can be used to create small bonsai tree. Some species are relatively fast growing tree, like the cotoneaster, and can make a small bonsai tree with essential bonsai features in short lapse of time. For this kind of project, it is best to choose a fast growing species with small leaves. Having big leaves on a small trunk can be disproportionate and unpleasant to the eye when appreciating your bonsai tree.
Looking for new cultivars
The beauty of seeds is the exact opposite of why people propagate trees with cuttings. With cuttings, people are trying to replicate the exact same tree as the parent plants. Propagating with Tree seeds is different as every seeds do posess a unique genetic set, which will produce unique trees each times. This genetic lotery is due to various trees pollenising the mother tree. Their will always be a constant and most of the seedlings will look a like, but on the bunch of seedlings, some will have special characteristics. For example a seedling could be a fast grower or another one could have a different color of leaves. This is where you discover new cultivars.
Tree seeds are not good for bonsai for:
To grow a bonsai without bonsai techniques
One of the biggest bonsai myth is the myth of “
bonsai seeds”. These would be seeds that would grow an instant dwarf tree without any training and bonsai techniques applied to the tree. All “bonsai seeds” are just regular tree seeds, and they will produce a full height and mature tree if left unattended and growing freely without trimming. However, some do refer to bonsai seeds as
tree seeds of a species preferred to grow as bonsai.
A quick way to grow a bonsai tree
Tree seeds are not a quick way to grow a bonsai tree. Growing a bonsai tree from seeds is the longest method to grow a bonsai tree. While a bonsai tree is never finished and keeps growing, some consider it finish when the style of the tree suits the desired result from the bonsai adept. To achieve this satisfying styling result with a tree started from a seeds, you should expect a few or even many years.
Learning bonsai styling techniques
Growing a
bonsai tree from seeds is not the best way to learn the
bonsai art and styling concept. These techniques and guidelines can be best learned by reading books and practicing on some pre-bonsai material and even garden center tree found at your local nursery. From seeds, it would take to many years before you could apply refining techniques of bonsai styling.
