Newbie Questions that need Confirmation PLEASE 🙏

[Vik250]

Hi All,

I have few very very stupid questions even though I read few articles and watched online videos on these. I just need some confirmation from you experts as I have been posting recently and receiving great feedback and help from members [FYI - I am new to planting and this forum].

1) I read Bonsaid Seeds, when planted, need to be kept in Dark until we see them sprouting? Is this correct? They need to be on warm/hot mat, is this correct?

2) Once sprouting starts, one needs to keep giving enough water to keep the soil moist (not too wet, not too dry), and also provide adequate sunlingt/grow light. Is this correct?

3) Once a seedling, one needs to provide fertilizer/nutrients? Is this correct? If yes, what type should I use for seedlings.

4) Are seedlings considered seedlings Once the leaves open up? I am embarrassed to ask this question. [Would you consider below seedlings?].

5) If I overwatered my seeds, what can I do to resolve/correct it?

Thank You All and I'll have more questions as I just started this Journey. Thank You

 

[Shibui]

1) I read Bonsaid Seeds, when planted, need to be kept in Dark until we see them sprouting? Is this correct? They need to be on warm/hot mat, is this correct?

Bonsai seeds are just seeds from normal trees labelled as bonsai. In the forest they grow quite happily without heat mats, dark or light apart from what comes naturally.
Seeds do not need dark to germinate. A few species are known as photoblastic and will not germinate unless they are exposed to light. Ficus are the only bonsai species I'm aware of that require light to germinate.

2) Once sprouting starts, one needs to keep giving enough water to keep the soil moist (not too wet, not too dry), and also provide adequate sunlingt/grow light. Is this correct?

Correct. Most plants can cope with a range of moisture levels and light levels but there's a limit to how far they can be pushed before giving up.

3) Once a seedling, one needs to provide fertilizer/nutrients? Is this correct? If yes, what type should I use for seedlings.

Seeds have a store of food to keep the seedlings going for a few weeks until roots can start to obtain nutrients. We generally use nutrient poor potting soils so adding fert soon after germination will give better growth and health. The type of fert is not important as plants are only interested in nutrients and all fert has nutrients. Don't let the huge range of brands and formulae and marketing hype confuse things. All fertilizers are fertilizers and plants don't care what's on the label.

4) Are seedlings considered seedlings Once the leaves open up? I am embarrassed to ask this question. [Would you consider below seedlings?].

Not sure what the official definition of seedling is - when it starts and when it ends - so don't sweat on unimportant things. Mostly we wait until the leaves open up before worrying too much about light and fert because plants cannot use either until they have green leaves to photosyntesize.

5) If I overwatered my seeds, what can I do to resolve/correct it?

Ambiguous Q with lots of possible answers. Plants can cope with excess water for a few days, even weeks. Think back to nature. Trees and seedlings cope with big rain events and even with flooding. The problem with overwatering is when it is long term which allows harmful fungi, etc to flourish in the soil which can then harm the roots.
Your seedlings are only a couple of days old. If you have overwatered yesterday then back off to allow the correct soil moisture in future.
If you have chronically overwatered and the plants are showing signs of distress it is sometimes possible to recover using treatment to kill the soil problems and/or repot to remove dead and dying roots and hope the tree will be strong enough to grow new ones. Exact treatment depends on the type of plant, age, time of year and how bad the problem is when you notice.

 

[Vik250]

Bonsai seeds are just seeds from normal trees labelled as bonsai. In the forest they grow quite happily without heat mats, dark or light apart from what comes naturally.
Seeds do not need dark to germinate. A few species are known as photoblastic and will not germinate unless they are exposed to light. Ficus are the only bonsai species I'm aware of that require light to germinate.

Correct. Most plants can cope with a range of moisture levels and light levels but there's a limit to how far they can be pushed before giving up.

Seeds have a store of food to keep the seedlings going for a few weeks until roots can start to obtain nutrients. We generally use nutrient poor potting soils so adding fert soon after germination will give better growth and health. The type of fert is not important as plants are only interested in nutrients and all fert has nutrients. Don't let the huge range of brands and formulae and marketing hype confuse things. All fertilizers are fertilizers and plants don't care what's on the label.

Not sure what the official definition of seedling is - when it starts and when it ends - so don't sweat on unimportant things. Mostly we wait until the leaves open up before worrying too much about light and fert because plants cannot use either until they have green leaves to photosyntesize.

Ambiguous Q with lots of possible answers. Plants can cope with excess water for a few days, even weeks. Think back to nature. Trees and seedlings cope with big rain events and even with flooding. The problem with overwatering is when it is long term which allows harmful fungi, etc to flourish in the soil which can then harm the roots.
Your seedlings are only a couple of days old. If you have overwatered yesterday then back off to allow the correct soil moisture in future.
If you have chronically overwatered and the plants are showing signs of distress it is sometimes possible to recover using treatment to kill the soil problems and/or repot to remove dead and dying roots and hope the tree will be strong enough to grow new ones. Exact treatment depends on the type of plant, age, time of year and how bad the problem is when you notice.

Thank YOU SO SO MUCH SERIOUSLY!! This information helps a ton in my future endeavors. Thank You

 

[Potawatomi13]

Not sure what the official definition of seedling is - when it starts and when it ends - so don't sweat on unimportant things. Mostly we wait until the leaves open up before worrying too much about light and fert because plants cannot use either until they have green leaves to photosyntesize.

In addition IF not exposing new seedlings to natural outdoor unfiltered Sunlight likely to start life thin, leggy, taller than would be naturally. Why bad? Lowest branches further from ground.
If planning to stick around please add location and Zone to profile

 

[Vik250]

In addition IF not exposing new seedlings to natural outdoor unfiltered Sunlight likely to start life thin, leggy, taller than would be naturally. Why bad? Lowest branches further from ground.
If planning to stick around please add location and Zone to profile

Thank You . Will add location to my profile. Central NJ

 

[sorce]

I been watching a bunch of vegetable seedlings lately.
Seems once the first true leaves come in, the roots really begin to run and branch.
Reckon doing any splitting apart or sorting would be easier done before then.
You also don't have to fertilize before then.

But of fertilizer...

I wouldn't even worry about it, at least not until they're established elsewhere. IMO, it just adds another thing to question if anything goes wrong.

Nitrogen will make em leggy.
There won't be fruits for years.
And excess root growth is just going to make them harder to pot up in these early stages.

Seems more of a negative than a positive.

Don't sweat anything and everything is a breeze!

Sorce

 

[Vik250]

I been watching a bunch of vegetable seedlings lately.
Seems once the first true leaves come in, the roots really begin to run and branch.
Reckon doing any splitting apart or sorting would be easier done before then.
You also don't have to fertilize before then.

But of fertilizer...

I wouldn't even worry about it, at least not until they're established elsewhere. IMO, it just adds another thing to question if anything goes wrong.

Nitrogen will make em leggy.
There won't be fruits for years.
And excess root growth is just going to make them harder to pot up in these early stages.

Seems more of a negative than a positive.

Don't sweat anything and everything is a breeze!

Sorce

Thank You Sorce.