🌳 Classic Species for Bonsai (from seeds)

🌿 Original and Ornamental Species (atypical bonsais)

🧊 1. Stratification: simulating winter

Most trees suitable for bonsai live in temperate climates. Their seeds therefore need an artificial “winter,” called stratification, to trigger germination. This is an essential step to break their natural dormancy.

• Mix the seeds with moist sand or slightly moistened fine potting soil.
• Place them in an airtight bag or a closed food container.
• Keep them in the refrigerator, between +1 °C and +5 °C, for 4 to 12 weeks depending on the species.
• Check moisture weekly: the substrate must never dry out or become waterlogged.

Good to know: Certain species, such as ginkgo, Japanese maple, or beech, require a long and rigorous stratification to germinate properly.

🌱 2. Sowing: bringing the tree to life

Once stratification is complete, the seeds can be sown. Sowing is the first visible encounter with the future bonsai. It requires a stable environment conducive to the development of the first roots.

• Use small pots or shallow trays with a mix of fine potting soil, coarse sand, and pumice.
• Bury the seeds at a depth equivalent to 2 or 3 times their size.
• Keep the substrate moist without excess water (misting recommended).
• Ideal temperature: 18 to 24 °C, in light but without direct sunlight.

Germination can take from 2 to 8 weeks, sometimes longer. Be attentive, as some seeds germinate very irregularly.

🌿 3. Seedling stage: growth without constraint

When young shoots emerge, it is essential to let them grow naturally. At this stage, any intervention (pruning, wiring) could compromise their rooting or health.

• Do not prune during the first year: let the seedlings thicken.
• When they reach 5–10 cm, transplant them into individual pots.
• Protect them from wind, frost, and intense sun.

This step aims to develop a strong root system, an essential condition for the subsequent bonsai work.

✂️ 4. Trunk selection and training

From the second or third year, you can start working on the structure. The goal: to create an interesting trunk line, with movement and a stable base.

• Select a main stem and prune unwanted secondary shoots.
• Apply gentle wiring (aluminum wire) to guide the trunk or branches.
• You can cut the apex to stimulate lateral branching.

Also start thinking about the future style of the tree: formal upright, informal upright, slanting, cascade, semi-cascade, broom, etc.

🌳 5. Repotting and root pruning

When the root system fills the entire pot (about every 1 to 2 years), repotting is necessary. It is a technical but essential step for the longevity of your bonsai.

• Carefully remove the plant and reduce the main roots by 20 to 40%.
• Place it back in a bonsai pot with a draining substrate (akadama, pumice, potting soil).
• Water moderately and keep in the shade for a few days after repotting.

✂️ 6. Structural and maintenance pruning

Pruning is essential to structure your tree, balance forces, and maintain its aesthetics.

• Structural pruning (in winter): removes strong or poorly placed branches.
• Maintenance pruning (spring-summer): shortens new shoots to thicken the foliage.
• Pinching : allows control of the growth of young leaves for fine branching.

🌦 7. Maintenance throughout the year

• 🌤 Exposure : adapted to each species (full sun, light shade, bright indoors).
• 💧 Watering : daily in summer, spaced in winter, never letting it dry out completely nor water stagnate.
• 🍂 Fertilizer : mild and balanced, to be applied from spring to autumn.
• 🐜 Monitoring : aphids, red spider mites, fungal diseases must be treated quickly.

Regularly observe your tree: it tells you what it needs.

⏳ 8. A long... and fascinating adventure

Creating a bonsai from a seed takes time. It often takes 5 to 10 years before having a mature tree. But every step is a reward: watching the first leaves, choosing the trunk line, caring for a branch, discovering a bloom. It is an adventure as much aesthetic as spiritual.

✨ Why choose SemiSauvage?

• 🌿 Reproducible seeds, chemical-free.
• 📦 Fast shipping, careful packaging.
• 📚 Free advice sheets provided.
• 🎁 Perfect for creating a homemade bonsai kit.