Ken’s Trees

Coast Redwood Seeds

Yesterday right after I received all of my seeds in the mail, I was pleased to discover that the Coast Redwood seeds were ready to get planted immediately.  I had already picked up some seed starting soil and seed trays from Lowes last weekend so I had everything that I needed to get started.

I bought a total of 50 Coast Redwood seeds, but they only have a germination rate of 20%, so I can probably expect 10 trees if everything goes correctly.  Even though I could probably save space and place a couple seeds within each slot, I prefer to give each individual seed their own slot.  This way I avoid any possibility that two trees sprout in the same slot, and I can allow them to grow without disturbing them at a fragile age.  In the photo below I have counted out 50 slots in my seed tray and have started filling them with my seed starting soil.

When filling these make sure to tamp down the soil a bit, not too firm, but enough to ensure that you have a good soil base.  Coming straight out of the bag, this seed starter was quite fluffy and airy.  Watering the soil at this point makes it easier to work with when you are ready to sow the seeds which only need to be 1/8th of an inch deep.  I found a small stick to help make shallow holes in each slot where I will then place the seeds, this is pictured below:

One seed goes in each hole, and then they need to be covered with the surrounding soil and tamped down again, firm but not too hard.  My seed tray has a clear cover to keep the whole setup moist, the only step left is to find a warm place for the seeds and wait.

You’ll notice that I placed a label on the right most column with the letters CR to represent Coast Redwood.  If I run out of space for my other seeds I can use the remaining slots without getting confused about which seeds are which.  The wait could be as little as 21 days, but could take up to 70 to see any growth.

My seeds have finally arrived in the mail!  I have four new species to get working on this year.  Below is a brief preview of the seeds before I get into the germination processes.

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Coast Redwood Seeds

Coast Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens) -  If not trained as bonsai these seeds could develop into the tallest trees on the planet.  The seeds look very similar to the Dawn Redwood seeds that I used last year, only these are a much darker brown with a hint of red.  Thankfully these arrived ready to go, I just needed to sow them in soil water and wait.  I was able to do this today, photos will follow in my next post.

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Giant Sequoia Seeds

Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron Giganteum) - The Coast Redwoods may grow to become the tallest, but it is the Giant Sequoias that have the greatest mass.  Again these seeds look very similar to the two different types of Redwoods I’ve seen, but these are at least twice the size if not bigger.  These will need a short period of cold stratification like the Trident Maples, only instead of three months it will only take 28 days (or a February month 3 out of 4 years).

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Temple Juniper Seeds

Temple Juniper (Juniperus Rigida) - This is a tree that is made for decoration, it is named the Temple Juniper because it is often found within Japanese temple gardens.  The seeds look like obese rye seeds, at least that’s what I immediately thought when I saw them.  The Juniper seeds are going to take a bit more work than any of the other seeds that I have worked with to this point.  They will need a hot water soak, one month of warm stratification (a new step for me), and finally two months of cold stratification before I can plant them.

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Chinese Juniper Seeds

Chinese Juniper (Juniperus Chinensis) - When most people think of Bonsai, this is the type of tree that immediately pops into their head, because it is the species that everyone gets as a gift for their introduction into Bonsai.  Unfortunately these gifts often lead to the misconception that Bonsai are really difficult because more often than not the container and soil used in these gifts are designed for safe shipping rather than the health of the tree leading to a dying bonsai.  The seeds are glossy and will follow a similar process as the Temple Juniper, only much longer.  The warm stratification will take three months, and the cold stratification will take another three months.  The other option is to sow them outside in the spring (still waiting up here in Maine) and wait a year.

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All of my seeds were purchased from seedrack.com and come with instructions for each individual species to get the best results.

If you don’t have the patience to grow bonsai from seed and want to get started with a grown tree right away try Bonsai Boy of NY where you will find unique quality bonsai trees available for purchase.