AusBonsai

Hi all. I got some jbp and red pine seeds from the usa. Any advice on planting and growing these seedlings? We have very hot summers and mild,wet winters. It seldom dips beneath 0 centigrade. Tried some long ago,but all were dead after 2 years. Advice on soil mix etc.pls. Summer temps goes over 40 but stays in the 30's for months. I hear that jbp are kept in river sand and fed weekly(in japan) will this work? Would shade cloth and daily misting help? I'm planning to plant them end of august or september. Any suggestions on best planting time? Here by elms can sprout from about august and root pruning juniper can be done in october without too much hassles. Just an indication of the seasons. Thank you.

Hi Springbok, Your climate sounds pretty much like ours here in Northeast Victoria except our winter minimums are regularly -3C and occasionally as low as -7. I have no problems with either red or black pines here. They both cope with over 40c regularly in summer and I keep both in full sun all year round.

These pines do not appear to need cold winter or stratification to germinate so I just sow seed in seed trays/pots at the end of winter or early spring (July - Sept) and they will germinate when conditions are right. Use an open, well drained mix because constant damp can cause pines to rot. For any beginner growing seed a bag of Seed RaisingMix is a good investment - pasturised to minimise fungal problems, fomulated for good moisture retention but also air filled porosity. With experience you can graduate to a home made mix. If you can't get SRM try your normal potting mix as seed raising mix.
Start to feed soon after seedlings emerge because SRM has no fertiliser added. I prefer to prick out seedlings quite early - as soon as the first leaves have pushed off the seed coat (you will know what I mean when you see it). There are some entries on JBP seedlings on my blog - http://shibuibonsai.com.au/japanese-bla ... -cuttings/ and http://shibuibonsai.com.au/black-pine-seedlings/ The seedlings in the second post were pricked out later than usual and shows that there is no one right way for seedlings. Sometimes I have left seedlings in the tray for 2 years before transplanting into individual pots.

I think straight river sand as a growing medium might be going a little too far for a beginner. Some here are growing pines in 100% diatomite which is virtually the same thing but they are good growers who understand watering and fertilising very well. A good, open, well drained mix is a safer bet to start with but you should still feed regularly to get the best growth.

Good luck

Thanx shibui. This info helps plenty. Cheers