What Are Some Common Mistakes Made When Growing Seeds For Bonsai?

Growing your own bonsai from seed is a popular method and is very rewarding, but a lot of people really struggle with it, and this is often because it is their first time do any sort of gardening.

The truth is that growing seeds is quite tricky, they can be very delicate, but that does not mean it is impossible.

However, I do see people make the same mistakes over and over again and this usually results in them killing their precious little seedlings, so I will go though some of the most common mistakes, with the hope that you can now be aware of them and avoid them …hopefully allowing you to end up with a great bonsai.

Forgetting That They Are Normal Seeds

I think one of the biggest mistakes I see is that people forget that “bonsai seed” are not a real thing.

They are just normal tree seeds, that you can grow into a normal tree …that you can then do bonsai techniques on.

Forgetting that this is actually the case causes two problems …the first one being that you end up overpaying for seeds. Don’t buy “bonsai seeds” for 3 times as much when you don’t have to.

However, the more dangerous mistake is trying to care for the seedlings like they are fully developed bonsai. The problem with this is that seedlings are not fully developed trees, and even if they where, this can still cause differences in how they are cared for. A fully developed Japanese maple will not be cared for in the same way as fully developed Japanese white pine as they are different species.

This is why you need to find out what species you are actually growing, so that you can care for the tree appropriately.

This will allow your little seedling to grow and then when it is time you can add in the bonsai work.   

(You can read more about – Where Can You Buy Bonsai Seeds?)

Not Following Germination Guides

A lot of the time people can’t even get their seeds to grow and this is usually down to forgetting to actually find out the species they are growing.

Different species need different conditions to grow, and you can’t treat them all the same way. This means if you are reading some generic “bonsai seed germination guide” it’s probably not accurate.

You need to find out what you are actually growing and learn what steps are needed to actually grow that species. If you do this, you will see success.

(You can read more about – What To Do When Your Bonsai Seeds Are Not Growing)

A Lack of Care Is A Common Mistake

A pretty big mistake is not realising how much care is needed when it comes to seedlings.

A lot of people have house plants that are fairly neglected. They may give them some water once a week and they may also not be in the best lighting conditions …but this is fine, house plants are pretty tough.

The problem comes when people treat their seedlings the same way and basically ignore them or generally care for them the wrong way.

This can normally be seen by allowing the seedlings to dry out, not giving them enough light or air flow and maybe even not giving them the correct temperatures.

This is all a recipe for disaster and a seedling is going to die very quickly when neglected like this.

While seedling care is a little different from bonsai care, they are both a lot more intense than house plant care, so you really need to step your care came up if you want to start growing seedlings for bonsai.

(You can read more about – How Do You Care For Bonsai Seedlings?)

Over Caring Is A Huge Problem

While not caring enough is a big problem, so is caring too much.

I honestly think the biggest problem I see with beginners is over caring. I get it, you want your tree to grow and you are excited … but constantly trying to care for it multiple times a day is actually going to kill your tree.

You have to trust that your tree will be okay by its self for a few hour and so long as you are checking on it once a day, that should be more than enough. 

I constantly see people watering too much, or trying to give their trees too much light and just generally trying to care too much.

You need to really find the balance and your tree will be happy.

(You can read more about – How Do You Know If Your Bonsai Seedlings Are Healthy?)

The Pot

When it comes to the pot used for seedlings, this can be a mild mistake.

Really a seedling can grow in any size pot, but of course that doesn’t mean that what you have selected is ideal.

Pot size is something people really worry about and while it is important for bonsai and also developing trees into bonsai, initially it doesn’t matter. Your goal with seedlings is to get them healthy and strong and what pot size you use doesn’t matter.

I would look around at the rest of the gardening world and look at what they are using for starting seeds. These pots are small and they are fine. Use that size and then when it’s a little stronger or even a year old, you can place the pot in something bigger so it can stretch out and grow properly.

Starting with something big will work, but you will end up with a tiny little seedling that is surrounded by a lot of damp soil. It can very easily end up being too wet for the tree, so it can be a lot easier to manage the water requirements of the seedling in a smaller pot.

(You can read more about – What Is The Right Size Pot For Your Bonsai?)

The Soil

The soil and the pot are of course closely linked, and while pot size is important, I think the soil you use is more important.

As I just mentioned above, you need to manage the water levels in the pot and using a good soil will help this. I see too many seeds started in poor draining compost. This stuff will work, but it’s not great. It holds too much water and this can cause a problem for your delicate seedlings.

I would always suggest that you use very fine bonsai soil. This is going to be most free draining and give the roots of your seedlings what they need, as well as making your life easier when it comes to managing the water levels.

(You can read more about – A General Guide To Bonsai Soil)

Giving Your Seedling Fertiliser Is A Mistake

I am constantly sent messages asking what the best fertiliser is for bonsai seedlings, and my answer is always the same… none.

You do not need to fertilise your seedlings, in fact you shouldn’t as they are too delicate.

Your seedling is going to have everything it needs within the seed and soil to get it going. I would honestly leave it alone for the first year. Give it time to establish itself and let its roots harden up and be ready to actually handle it.

Once it wakes up after its first winter, you can treat it like all the rest of your trees, but until then you are just risking damaging it by adding fertiliser. 

Over Working Your Seedling Is A Mistake

Another big problem I see is over working a seedling, or at least a desire to. I am often sent messages asking when the tree can be pruned or wired or even repotted and when I ask to see it …it’s a 2 inch tall seedling with 3 pairs of leaves.

While I admire the desire to make things happen, you need to slow down. Seedlings are often not ready to be worked and you need to just ignore all the bonsai stuff and just focus on growing the seedling into a healthy little tree.

Trying to rush and do bonsai work on to a tree is bad, it’s even worse for a seedling. If the tree isn’t ready for the work and isn’t strong enough, it isn’t going to be able to respond how you want it to and will only get weak and die.

The time will come for the bonsai work, but until then, focus on building the strength of the tree.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a lot of mistakes and they are all easily made… but also easily avoided.

Hopefully now you can be more cautious and more aware of what you are doing and avoid any of these problems.

Hopefully your seedlings will grow strong and healthy and then you can start using some bonsai techniques on them and really start pushing them towards the tree you have always dreamed of. 

(You can read more about – Starting A Bonsai From Seed – A Guide For Years 1 To 5)