Bonsai Beginnings

I've finally taken the leap. Today 9 sakura seeds went into the fridge to begin a journey to bonsai.

Backstory time! When I was a teen I took up the hobby of caring for bonsai. Both of the plants I cared for were cedar and store bought. I kept them for years until one unfortunate day I returned from a month long education trip to find out my mother hadn't been watering them.

This happened during the dog days of summer and temperatures reached above 100 degrees in my room where the poor bonsai trees had been left. Long story short years of loving trimming and care crashed when I found my bonsai dried up to brown flaky sticks.

No amount of tender loving care was able to bring them back and I swore off ever having another bonsai again. And I meant it!

That was fifteen years ago and during that time I've planted gardens, trees, houseplants and honestly loved it all. I just never could get up the courage to try to keep a bonsai again. Then I started freelancing writing and low and behold one of my first articles was on bonsai care. I started thinking about keeping a bonsai again. That was 7 years ago and today I took that step.

I'm not going to buy a bonsai plant. Instead I'm going to start at the beginning. I purchased a pouch of sakura seeds because I love the way the blossoms look. They're just so beautiful. The seeds can be started in the soil but I don't know how old the seeds are so I'm starting with stratification. You might have done this in school. The seeds are put on wet paper towels in a plastic baggy and put into the fridge to sprout.

The seeds should start to sprout in 2 to 8 weeks depending. I'll keep them up to 3 months before giving up hope. Then the seeds will be transplanted to soil and begin to grow. It's going to take years before they grow into saplings that I can turn into bonsai, but I'm looking forward to the adventure.

If I'm lucky more than one will survive and I can have a full size sakura tree in the yard!

Peace and Love!