Extended season starting trees indoors

[cmeg1]

Curtis is doing exactly that to get some long initial stems on Zelkova.

Did try it.Seems under a north window is best.

 

[cmeg1]

FINALLY SEEMS THIS THREAD IS GETTING A MAKEOVER!!!!

So ready to get this stuff out of the home!!

Experimental stage….Just leaving lights on to see how hot it gets.I guess run lights at nightime till’ I get a heater buddy or figure something else out.

Maybe run an exhaust fan during the day while lights are off and it just might work perfect for a little while.

It is best during lights off cycle for temps to be 10-15 degrees colder than lights on cycle.

So with daytime temps mainly in and 60s here and sunshine probably warming it up a bit this might work out good beings I am running about 84° now during on cycle at daytime.

If I ran the lights during the daytime it would definitely get too hot in there so the night is taking the place of running an air conditioner during the day….for now anyway.

This is a work in progress for sure starting out with tents ….maybe eventually put a proper ebb&flow table in there with a tent built on top of it or maybe deck out the walls and everything and just run the whole building as a grow facility……I’m not sure.Tents are more economical with CO2 and easier to control temps but we’ll see in the future.Definitely some R40 insulation over the winter though.

 

[19Mateo83]

Very nice Curt! I can’t wait to see that baby stuffed to the gills with tiny trees!

 

[cmeg1]

Very nice Curt! I can’t wait to see that baby stuffed to the gills with tiny trees!

Yes, for now just a tent.
Alot can be done there…….small deciduous starters can store in a fridgerator very nicely…..I have a small fridge just for this…..I could even set trees outside during the early winter days to prepare them slightly.Could fit several hundred in there.

Going to start a bunch of Siberian Elm clumps in a couple days……the seeds do not need pre-treatment!!!

 

[cmeg1]

FIRST GROW PROJECT!!!!!


Since Siberian Elm grow without seed pre-treatment I decided to proceed with a new kabudachi bonsai starter idea.

I do like the way the mini-blocks air prune the roots,so I decided to take it a step further and devide a 2” block in halves and plant with alot of germinating seeds.This way the 20 or so seedlings will have a very fused rootpad quite early.

I am using so many because some seedlings just do not make the cut,genetic wise,and I can just pluck them out.This always occurs the first flush after their first dormancy……some are just total runts or are prone to other undesirable traits.

I am not concerned of accelerated growth at first.These custom stonewool blocks are only about 3/4” and I really just want to promote vigorous rooting by means of a rootstarter fertilizer for the first few weeks and probably quite low intensity lighting like a motherplant growth environment and they will stay compact enough to do a quick dormancy in the cooler I have.Deciduous are fine with this.I should be able to set outside during the day also during winter to orepare them.

Then in Spring I can grow out a little before sale or further training.

This is very fun.
The Siberian Elm will be germinating tomorrow.They are very awesome seed species.The seeds will store 15 years frozen,but germinate into life in like a day with just a few drips of water……

The little mini Nebari should form quickly.When the small seedlings get air-pruned in these stonewool blocks the trunks tend to swell quite significantly below the surface of the mini-cube.Suprisingly so I might add!!!
Check the picture …From a seedling this Spring.I was in disbelief of how I had such a vigorous seedling with such a tiny mass of roots……I think the swelled base was acting like a tap-root or something.

 

[cmeg1]

ONE DAY AND THE SIBERIAN ELMS ARE GERMINATING ( grow environment stable for now).

Well I was able to plant 5 of the customized mini-blocks.I decided to plant 18 per block.So to have extras for selection purposes.

I am feeding with a very mild .3 EC root starter nutrient with extra mono-ammonium phosphate.
I have added a larger 396 gal/hr pump to really keep it circulating along with an air stone.The resevoir temps are steady at about 68 f which is the minimum technically,but is wonderfully aerated and oxygen rich.

I actually want to grow these slowly in motherplant conditions to see the outcome.Then will store in the fridge so to have room for more projects.

The environment seems stable and I pretty much have everything the way it will be for awhile until in a few weeks it gets colder then I will need a type of heater and also apply some type of insulation.

I masked the two wall vents so no outside air and the airborne debris and fungus spores that come with it will NOT enter the tent.
There is a dehumidifier anyways to keep moisture in check and also has the heat by-product to give almost 10F more warmth in the lights out cycle.

 

[cmeg1]

Elm colors

Every last Siberian Elm had a very nice Autumn color last season.Thats a good sign!!!

 

[cmeg1]

SIBERIAN ELM KABUDACHI GROWING!!!

Suffered a drought and lost 75% of the flat,but have more sewing now…..NP
These are turning out very cool.I have light at just above cutting strength so they grow quite slow and also about 600 ppm of co2.
I am fertilizing a root starter to build up the roots a few weeks.

Will be filling the flats with more…….I also have korean hornbeam germinating now,so will leave room for them too……will be fun.

 

[cmeg1]

GROWING QUICK AND ROOTING WELL…….making more too!!!

These will be a very nice pad of roots in the super shallow mini-blocks!!!
I’m growing these quite slowley….6 ec….600 ppm co2……250 par light intensity…(cutting/motherplant strength).

 

[cmeg1]

SIX WEEEKS AND THE FRESH AMUR MAPLE SEED IS SPROUTING!!!

I hope they all continue to sprout.Probably will.
I set up another tent in the grow house too.
Lots of deciduous this winter…all winter then Pines in Spring.

 

[ShadyStump]

I always love seeing your little mad science lab. It looks so fun.

 

[Cmd5235]

Free Elm Seeds Planted

Been watching these Chinese elm trees grow for years at work scattered everywhere from a very graceful old creek tree.
USDA states fresh seed will sprout in a few days,so I could not resist.I must admit,collection of free local seed is very satisfying.

Hooked up my CO2 yesterday...looked to be working flawlessly until I came home today as lights had not been on yet,I was expecting low ppm since the system turns off automatically at lights out
......trees don’t need CO2 during lights out....but anyway ppm was at 2500 Definately check regulator for leaks with soapy water when these are hooked up!
Everything is good now though.

Zelkova are sprouting all over and so are Japanese Black Pine,which I am excited to see if they actually grow faster than the first batch.Although It turns out my air conditioned mobile home already had 1000 ppm of CO2
before I even hooked up a CO2 tank!!!
Have not vented the house for awhile I guess.......maybe why I was able to sew seed and have a rooted seedling cutting in one month on the last batch!
At any rate I bumped it up further ,approaching near 1500 ppm.

Ready to make more Pine seedling cuttings.Should be sticking them in about 2 weeks.
View attachment 265645View attachment 265646..

1000 ppm is way over my normal threshold for emergency response, good for you.

 

[cmeg1]

1000 ppm is way over my normal threshold for emergency response, good for you.

I tend to vent the house regularly too…..I have a small manufactured home and with a few people regular ventilation is neccesary.

 

[cmeg1]

I always love seeing your little mad science lab. It looks so fun.

Thanks.I’m ready to see the trees grow.

 

[cmeg1]

KABUDACHI SHOULD BE A HIT!!!


I am liking the rootbase development idea.Even at this tiny stage the shapes and direction of the little seedlings is fascinating.I think the custom stonewool blocks are the idea for sure! Only 3/4” deep and lots of air-pruning on just a germinating seed!

I’m excited as I have the Amur Maple and Korean Hornbeam germinating and have planted a few.

There will also be Trident maple.
And some zelkova…..just where to get fresh zelkova seed?

I also have the light intensity very low…down to cuttings strength @ 200 par or lower so these will slow in meristem growth,but thicken and increase a vigorous root system by means of photosynthesis.Co2 fertilization between 600-700 ppm.The goal is to treat like a motherplant regimin.The stems will actually thicken while they energize like this and also get enlarged trunkbases.

 

[ChefB]

I would love to buy some of your trees on eBay will you ever be able to sell in the United States?

 

[cmeg1]

I would love to buy some of your trees on eBay will you ever be able to sell in the United States?

Yes I am the United States I won’t have none for sale till early spring and hopefully get on a more year-round basis as I’m just gonna keep growing these things you’re around let them go dormant and then I can sell dormant trees in the winter just fine.
I had just got my outdoor facility a few months ago I was in the confines of a spare bedroom!!!

 

[ChefB]

Yes I am the United States I won’t have none for sale till early spring and hopefully get on a more year-round basis as I’m just gonna keep growing these things you’re around let them go dormant and then I can sell dormant trees in the winter just fine.
I had just got my outdoor facility a few months ago I was in the confines of a spare bedroom!!!

I thought when I saw this that meant you weren’t allowed to ship to me or something.

 

[cmeg1]

I thought when I saw this that meant you weren’t allowed to ship to me or something.

Oh no just out for the season. I’m starting my year around growth right now actually this is the first of it and the outdoor facilities just gonna stay running around I will eventually get surplus trees let them go dormant for at least two months and then start selling at mid winter they are fine for winter sales really it’s very hard to kill them when they’re in a box even in a vehicle.

 

[cmeg1]

KABUDACHI KOREAN HORNBEAM

These will be way cool.Will have flats of them.