New to bonsai. Chinese elm from seed need help. Very confused.

[koda659]

i got 6 chinese elm seed i soaked in water for 24hrs then put them into an old margrine container with wet paper towel in it put my seeds in and cover with more final wetting and put them in the fridge at 40 degrees f. where i bought my seedswww.treeseeds.com they say 30 to 60 day stratification. just wondering if i got everything set up right. ps the first night they froze abit so i turned it to the 40 degree from 38. thawed it just by spraying with a little bit of water. dried it out abit so as to not be to wet via pressing lightly with more paper towel. got more seeds still though just in case.

 

[sorce]

@Koda'sgrandma

Is that your grandma!?

Crazy if it is! Welcome!

Sorce

 

[koda659]

@Koda'sgrandma

Is that your grandma!?

Crazy if it is! Welcome!

Sorce

?

 

[koda659]

just looking for help. new to bonsai trying to get these seeds to grow. just wanting to know what to do

 

[sorce]

Not your grandma?

Lol...

I didn't think you have to cold stratify elm seeds.

Sorce

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Funny that this came up. Today my first Chinese elm seed for 2016 sprouted. Hopefully several hundred more on the way... (but I live in Southern Cal so your location may differ).

I just put my seeds in ziplock bags in the fridge in the crisper/produce drawer (so they don't get too cold). Put them in the bag on top of a moist paper towel and write the planting date on the bag with a permanent magic marker. You don't want them to deep-freeze. You don't want them to get bone dry. Anything in-between and you're good to go...

 

[koda659]

idk there so much out there. im trying to figure out how to start them. the place i bought them from said yes to cold strat, same with others, but some say you dont. like i said new to bonsai of coarse pick a hard tree to start with. it says that it does work well for beginer bonsai artists aswell. im just try to figure it out would love to get at least one of these but got no idea how to start them.

 

[koda659]

Funny that this came up. Today my first Chinese elm seed for 2016 sprouted. Hopefully several hundred more on the way... (but I live in Southern Cal so your location may differ).

I just put my seeds in ziplock bags in the fridge in the crisper/produce drawer (so they don't get too cold). Put them in the bag on top of a moist paper towel and write the planting date on the bag with a permanent magic marker. You don't want them to deep-freeze. You don't want them to get bone dry. Anything in-between and you're good to go...

View attachment 92968

thank you. so is my setup ok

 

[Bonsai Nut]

First, it helps to know your location...

Second, Chinese Elm does not need a hard cold stratification. If you have cool/cold nights in the winter, naturally, that is probably all you need. However if you want to be 100% certain, you can cold stratify in the refrigerator. 30-60 days is the recommended period. I stratified mine 30 days, knowing that I still have a month of cold evenings ahead.

All you need to do to cold stratify is put them in a plastic bag in the fridge. You want to keep them moist, and neither soaking wet or bone dry. I use a moist paper towel. Because Chinese Elm seeds are so small, I do not, as a rule, have a problem with mold or mildew, but if you do, replace your paper towel with a towel soaked in a 10% hydrogen peroxide solution, and you should not have any further issues.

After your cold stratification period, plant them in a loamy soil planting mix, on the surface or just below the surface. Keep moist and do not allow to dry out. Protect from critters (birds, rats, chipmunks, etc). I use a clear plastic cover that I weigh down. Let them grow one season (one year) before you transplant - the roots are too tender to handle transplanting any earlier.

Good luck!

 

[koda659]

First, it helps to know your location...

Second, Chinese Elm does not need a hard cold stratification. If you have cool/cold nights in the winter, naturally, that is probably all you need. However if you want to be 100% certain, you can cold stratify in the refrigerator. 30-60 days is the recommended period. I stratified mine 30 days, knowing that I still have a month of cold evenings ahead.

All you need to do to cold stratify is put them in a plastic bag in the fridge. You want to keep them moist, and neither soaking wet or bone dry. I use a moist paper towel. Because Chinese Elm seeds are so small, I do not, as a rule, have a problem with mold or mildew, but if you do, replace your paper towel with a towel soaked in a 10% hydrogen peroxide solution, and you should not have any further issues.

After your cold stratification period, plant them in a loamy soil planting mix, on the surface or just below the surface. Keep moist and do not allow to dry out. Protect from critters (birds, rats, chipmunks, etc). I use a clear plastic cover that I weigh down. Let them grow one season (one year) before you transplant - the roots are too tender to handle transplanting any earlier.

Good luck!

thank you for your help i live in the sothern end of ontario in canada i think im zone 6a but the zone maps i find dont show canada just going off of the cut off on the map.

 

[koda659]

your the only help at any forum ive tried. thank you. definetly will continue to post here. and wiĺl update on the trees aswell

 

[aml1014]

I've never done Chinese elm seeds, by I've grown hundreds of Siberian elms from seed. Where I live the elms bloom in late February or so and drop seeds in March, at which point I collect them and plant them in 4" pots and leave outside, they usually germinate in 2 weeks. I've always done natural stratification outdoors and have always had good luck. Since you've already got yours going in the fridge I'd leave them there until their ready to plant, good luck and welcome to the nuthouse.

Aaron

 

[koda659]

I've never done Chinese elm seeds, by I've grown hundreds of Siberian elms from seed. Where I live the elms bloom in late February or so and drop seeds in March, at which point I collect them and plant them in 4" pots and leave outside, they usually germinate in 2 weeks. I've always done natural stratification outdoors and have always had good luck. Since you've already got yours going in the fridge I'd leave them there until their ready to plant, good luck and welcome to the nuthouse.

Aaron

thank you aswell for the advise. definetly the best forum ive found. will update when and if they germinate and sprout. Hopefully fingers crossed.

 

[koda659]

so if its not cool enough for a month after 30 days keep them in for 60 or what. why 30 - 60 days thats the last part i dont get. they havent been in for long 3 or so days now. so i dont know if it will be cool enough in march for the last thirty days to be out side. so just keep them in for sixty or what?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Just realize that a bonsai will not sprout from those seeds. A tree will. You'll need to let that tree grow for several years outside before it's ready to be trained for bonsai.

 

[koda659]

i know its not bonsai and i have to train it to become bonsai but from what ive read is i can train on 1st or 2nd year with chinese elm because shes a faster grower. plus the size you want

 

[koda659]

i geuss also depending on if she big enogh to handle the wiring

 

[koda659]

so if its not cool enough for a month after 30 days keep them in for 60 or what. why 30 - 60 days thats the last part i dont get. they havent been in for long 3 or so days now. so i dont know if it will be cool enough in march for the last thirty days to be out side. so just keep them in for sixty or what?

but still?

 

[milehigh_7]

Pretty sure with elms you can plant them fresh. However, if they have dried a short cold strat period is a good idea. So you should be good to go. Just follow the rest of the advice that Mr. Nut gave ya and you should have more than you need soon.

 

[M. Frary]

Pretty sure with elms you can plant them fresh. However, if they have dried a short cold strat period is a good idea. So you should be good to go. Just follow the rest of the advice that Mr. Nut gave ya and you should have more than you need soon.

I picked them off of a tree last spring and planted them the next day.
2 weeks to sprout and now I have close to 100 elm saplings 18" to 24" tall. These were American elm not Chinese.