Bonsai From Seed: Essential Steps for Success - Full Lecture

 Source material: Nov 20, 2022

        Have you ever tried one of those bonsai-from-seed kits and nothing grew? Or maybe you had a few seeds grow but had no idea what the next steps were to transform your seedling into a bonsai! Growing a bonsai from scratch is an intoxicating idea for beginners, but it is also one of the hardest feats to accomplish. In this lecture, I explain the basics of seed collection, storage, and germination to help you optimize your success at waking seeds up. I also explained the steps necessary to shape seedlings over the years following germination which will help you build sizable trunks and tapering branches to create a convincing and stunning bonsai. You can also participate in the active learning questions from home by commenting below and listening in on the discussions and questions from the Columbus Bonsai Society (CBS) members who attended. I gave this lecture in November 2022 for the Columbus Bonsai Society. Join us at www.ColumbusBonsai.org

Find the full lecture here:

Read on for more resources on growing bonsai from seed....

Seed Experiment #1 - Survival Methods for Early Germinators (Brewer's Oak)

Source content: 12/20/2020

Hellooooooo bonsai world! It’s been a minute since I posted but I'm happy to report I am alive and well in Ohio. To celebrate surviving the first semester of my Ph.D. program, it's only fitting that my first blog post of 2021 focuses on a bonsai experiment I'm designing - the first of many I have in mind.

Of course, throughout the move to Columbus and starting graduate school, maintaining my bonsai collection has remained a priority even if new articles and videos were put on hold. In August, I packed my trees into a UHaul and drove my trimmed-down collection across the country. Since then, I’ve also found time to scout for local Ohio yamadori, service trees for my first local client, attend two workshops at Yume-en (Rob Hoffman’s new bonsai nursery in Marysville, OH), assemble my first grow tent for overwintering my tropicals, collect new seeds stock for 2021, and join the Columbus Bonsai Society’s Board for 2021. All of these and more from my archive could be future blog posts so stay tuned!

Sections:

1. Purpose

2. Introduction

3. Materials & Methods

4. Results

5. Discussion/Conclusions

6. References

7.  Blog Announcements

A young Brewer's oak seedling emerges!