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I am trying to grow a Black Pine Bonsai tree. I noticed that there were a number of seeds that looked different in the bag of the Black Pine seeds that I got, but I put them in the soil anyway with the Black Pine seeds.

I attached a photo of the seedling and the seed that it grew from. Can you help me identify whether this seedling is a Black Pine, and if it isn’t, what are the other seeds that I found?

Mysterious SeedMysterious PlantAnother Picture of Mysterious Plant

EDIT: I now realize that the seedling is not a Black Pine, but can you help me identify what it really is?

Another Picture of the Mysterious Seed

Guy
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  • Welcome Guy! I see that you've been around the network, and we're really glad you posted this great question. Thanks for caring about the rules, they can be tough. To clarify: you can always comment on your own questions or the answers on your questions. You just need 50 rep before you can comment everywhere. We ask that you edit as much information as possible into the question itself, but feel free to use comments if necessary. Voting: hopefully you'll have enough rep to upvote soon. The people who've been here a while understand, so there's no need to apologize! – Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL Aug 30 '17 at 18:14
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  • Should I change my profile name to not include my full name? – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 18:25
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  • Did you scarify the seeds and use cold stratification before planting, or did you just plant them? Are they fresh seeds or ones you bought? Impossible to say what the seedling is, its only got its cotyledons,; when it gets a second pair of 'leaves', they will be the true leaves and ID might then be possible – Bamboo Aug 30 '17 at 19:38
  • I just planted all of the seeds and these are seeds that I got from a Bonsai kit @Bamboo – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 19:42
  • Did the instructions say to do that, just plant them straightaway, or were there no instructions? Have you got any seeds left? – Bamboo Aug 30 '17 at 19:45
  • The instructions said to scatter all of the seeds on the soil and then cover with more soil @Bamboo – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 19:48
  • hmmm, well this is the usual procedure with black pine seeds http://homeguides.sfgate.com/seed-stratification-technique-japanese-black-pine-49002.html Fingers crossed yours germinate... – Bamboo Aug 30 '17 at 19:50
  • So what can I do now? @Bamboo – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 19:51
  • Can I remove the seeds and place them in the water? (I have no experience with plants so I’m not sure) @Bamboo – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 19:52
  • See answer below – Bamboo Aug 30 '17 at 19:57

4 Answers4

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It's usual to stratify Black Pine seeds (by soaking in water for 24 hours) then extract the seeds and give them cold for around 60 days, as described here: Seed Stratification Technique for the Japanese Black Pine.

It seems your instructions said to sow them straightaway, and it's not clear how long you had the seeds in the packet, or where you got them from, but the likelihood is, they do need soaking and cold before they will germinate. I don't know how long they've been sitting in that soil, nor how wet it is, but it might be sensible to pick out some of the seeds, and carry out the procedure described in the link above, so that if the ones you've sown don't grow, with luck, the ones you rescue do.

As for the different seed that's germinated, I don't recognise it as a seed, but it should be possible to identify it once it's started putting out true leaves.

Ken Graham
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Bamboo
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  • Okay thank you! I have taken out most of the seeds (maybe all I’m not sure). I will follow the instructions that you sent and will come back with results in a few days – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 20:09
  • Also, I just want to clarify. So first put them all in water for 24 hours, then place them with a wet paper towel in the refrigerator right? How long should they be in the refrigerator – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 20:14
  • No. Read the link I provided, under stratification - you need some peat or sphagnum moss and a screw top jar, needs to be in the fridge for 60 days, unless you get very cold falls, when you can put them outdoors if its cold enough (below 5 deg C as a maximum temperature). – Bamboo Aug 30 '17 at 21:02
  • I don’t have peat or sphagnum moss, is there any alternative? I know I can buy some but I’d prefer it if there were alternatives to purchasing more products for the Bonsai. – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 21:08
  • Can't think of anything else - tissue paper or cotton wool won't do the job because its too long a time, you'll likely get fungal growth. I suppose you could try a bit of potting soil (proper, new potting soil, not garden soil) and leave them in that in the fridge. – Bamboo Aug 30 '17 at 21:18
  • With the potting soil, should I still keep it in the fridge for 60 days? I have this would it work: https://www.espoma.com/product/espoma-organic-potting-soil-mix/ – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 21:21
  • Yes, needs 60 days of cold - if you don't want to buy anything, then try that potting soil. I don't know how it will respond, but its better than tissue or cotton wool – Bamboo Aug 30 '17 at 21:43
  • If you don't have peat or sphagnum moss, try vermiculite instead. If not, try perlite. – Alina Aug 30 '17 at 21:49
  • @Alina I don’t have anything, no sphagnum moss, no peat, no vermiculite, no perlite – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 23:03
  • @Bamboo thank you, they have been in the fridge for about 24 days so far and they will be there until the 60 days are over. – Guy Sep 23 '17 at 16:39
  • @Bamboo I know that this is a bit late, but it’s been about a month since the first seedling started to grow. In total, three grew but one died - now there are two growing (and one’s seed already fell off). I will post pictures soon. – Guy Dec 16 '17 at 20:04
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This definitely do not look like a pine tree seedling. Here is a good reference for what you intend to do, at least for the germination part.

Here is how seeds look like:

black pine seeds

And how seedlings will look like:

black pine seedlings

J. Chomel
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It's the seed of an Eryngium, but I can't tell which one! Do you have sea hollies growing near? Are there any blue spikey plants nearby, which are about waist high and flowering right now?

I have loads coming up everywhere and when I disturb the seed heads that is what I get scattered everywhere! I looked online too and I have to say the pictures I've found are really poor quality, I'm 99% sure that's what it is. I have been wrong before, but I see these seeds every week, and sweep them up in their thousands.

The only other thing is to let it grow and see what the first true leaf is? Then you can ask the same question again on here and see what happens.

Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
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olantigh
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  • I am not sure if that’s what the seed is. I got a Bonsai Kit somewhere, and I found these seeds in the kit (I believe that they somehow flew into where the seeds were packaged in whichever factory they made this kit in). I will add another photo of the seeds in my post (I searched for the photo of Eryngium seeds online and I do not think it’s that). – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 19:38
  • It’s been about a month almost since it started growing, and as soon as I get back home I will edit this post and add pictures of how the plant looks like now – Guy Sep 23 '17 at 16:41
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You are saying you got these seeds in a kit? That they were labeled Black Pine? I wish they had given you better instructions. One never plants seeds in Bonsai Pots. There probably isn't even a hole on the bottom?

Your soil is way too wet. You will probably get root rot or rot of some kind before this seedling is able to get much older.

Seeds need to be prepared for their individual needs. Some need paper towels and moisture, others need refrigerated, some need to be blasted with flame. You've actually got one growing! I would get a tiny peat pot not more that 2" by 2", fill with potting soil and using a spoon transplant this guy into a small pot where it won't be affected by too much water. No drainage and then no root mass to suck up water is a death knell for that plant.

Bad instructions! I am sorry. You still have ONE that is viable. Keep a bit moist but NOT SOGGY. Allow it to dry before watering. Use distilled water, not tap water. Hopefully you are able to find distilled water without fluoride.

Potting soil, small tiny peat pot for now, and what are you using for light? It needs light now and your seedling should start looking like this picture I am sending. Fertilize only when it gets 4" high. Not now. If you use Osmocote you won't have to fertilize again until you transplant or up pot your seedling. Use very little! A pinch until you get to a 6" pot then go by the directions and only do half of what the instructions tell you.

Black Pine Seedling

stormy
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  • And you have to understand clearly in your mind there is no seed at all that makes a Bonsai. Bonsai are normal shrubs/trees that are manipulated with lots of knowledge and experience to become a mini version of themselves. Bonsai is the TOUGHEST test of a 'gardener'!! – stormy Aug 30 '17 at 23:27
  • I just planted the seeds and as far as I know, the plant that you see growing is not a Black Pine. I have been using normal sunlight, tap water, and there is a hole at the bottom of the pot. Please follow up with all answers and their comments. I have already began following Bamboo’s answer and I hope that my seeds will be good to germinate in 60 days after they leave the fridge. Thank you for your answer. – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 23:30
  • Yeah, doesn't look like those cotyledons will look like Black Pine but what the heck kind of seed would they give you? Did you use potting soil or soil from out of doors? That would explain your errant seedling. Did you use potting soil or garden soil? You are welcome, Guy! Interesting project!! – stormy Aug 30 '17 at 23:38
  • I just used a soil disc that was in the box. I had to place it in water and then it turned into normal soil. – Guy Aug 30 '17 at 23:39
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    IF they don't germinate "in 60 days after leaving the fridge," don't get too impatient. Some conifer seeds can sit around for 5 or 10 *years* before they germinate in the wild! You do realize that growing a Bonsai from seed is about the hardest thing you can try, and with a slow growing tree like a pine it might take you 20 years before you get to something that "looks like a proper Bonsai?" If you want to get started, you would be much better buying a tree that is fairly quick growing, and big enough to start training. Then you will see some progress within a few months, not a few years. – alephzero Aug 30 '17 at 23:41
  • Well...that is different! It obviously isn't normal soil but I would think it is sterilized potting medium. Where did that seedling come from? What do they say on the 'directions'? – stormy Aug 30 '17 at 23:41
  • @stormy I would guess people with the right knowledge level who *should* be buying conifer seeds to grow Bonsai don't actually *need* any directions, beyond what they already have in their own library of books on Bonsai ;) It seems to my like Guy has inadvertently jumped in the deep end of the pool at his first swimming lesson... – alephzero Aug 30 '17 at 23:44
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    ... and by "big enough" I mean something about 2 feet tall - don't try to make your first attempt at Bonsai training as tiny as possible, keep it simple! – alephzero Aug 30 '17 at 23:47