Hello everyone,

I have successfully grown several JBP from seeds in coconut pellets.
However, I wasn't expecting such success, so I've placed the seeds close to each other.





1. I believe that I should separate them, but how?
Should I carefully remove the roots from the pellet?
Or should I split the seedlings with the pellet and place each of them in individual pots?

2. When should I do the replanting?

3. What would it take to make cuttings out of these?
I have a dip'n'grow rooting hormone on it's way.

4. Does clumping apply to JBP bonsai?
I've seen this video on Japanese Red Maple:
Given that I currently have 6 JBP, I was wondering if I could accelerate my journey into the bonsai world with this technique.

I just separated 50 one year old JBP seedlings a few weeks ago. Bought them from a nursery in bundles of 10, and there was maybe 2 tablespoons of soil in each bundle. The roots and soil were wrapped in a piece of cloth that formed a ball of maybe 3cm diameter or so. Some of the roots were 50cm long, and as you can imagine, rather tangled up. Did take a while to untangle them, but it's pretty much like combing my daughter's hair — if I'm not patient and careful, she will cry.

I haven't separated this young seedlings, but I imagine it can be done, carefully.

" I was wondering if I could accelerate my journey into the bonsai world with this technique."
— you are starting JBP from seed. I don't think there is anything you can accelerate. In 10 years, you may have something that someone could recognize as a bonsai Enjoy the journey!

You are combining 3 different things:

- Cuttings. Yes, pine seedlings are cut off their roots and replanted as cuttings to encourage finer roots. I woudl NOT recommend this if you have never grown trees from seed. First "stay natures track" and learn the basics.
- Separating: Wait untill the stem turns woody. Right now you have very delicate seedlings, where one moment of inattention can break them. They do not mind the closeness for now
- Grouping in a clump. If you want to do this.. No need to separate them, as they are already in a clump. I am not sure it will speed up the process much.

Have fun!

And, the most important thing is to place them outside. On that windowsill inside they will die.

I always separate seedlings really soon (and carefully), while they still have only the taproot and a few little roots on it, it's a delicate task, but at that stage they don't even suffer, one day after they will keep growing as nothing happened, but as I don't have any Black Pine, and got some experience with seedlings, maybe you'll want to wait a little more...

About the clump, you don't see much pine clumps, but can be done, there are some beautiful ones out there... Howevere I would say that for speeding up your process of learning, the best option would be grow them appart, so with more material to work on in the future, you can try different approaches... To speed up the process even more, I would try a faster species, as pines has a slow growth...

Most people into bonsai, hoard many young trees as possible, so you always have something to work on, and maybe select the ones with more potential to certain approaches...

lucR wrote:

And, the most important thing is to place them outside. On that windowsill inside they will die.

I am based in Easter Europe (Romania).
At the moment there’s snow, windy and about -5 degrees Celsius.
Summers go up to 32 degrees Celsius.

Can JBP seedling endure this?

Yes. JBP grows on coastal areas all over Japan. It is not endemic to Hokkaido, but you see them also in southern Hokkaido. The climate in the northern parts of Honshu and southern Hokkaido is pretty harsh, with much stronger winds you get in Romania, and temperature can drop down to -10 to -20C. Some areas where JBP naturally grows get meters and meters of snow.

Thank you all for your help!

I will continue with my JBP seedlings like this until their shaft turns brown.
Afterwards, I intend to keep one natural, I will clump 3 of them, and I'll root hormone the others.
I'll do the replanting at this stage. Given my research so far, a good JBP soil would consist of 1/3 pumice, 1/3 akadama, 1/3 kiryuzuna

PS: I'll also move them outside in a a few months
PS2: I am taking plenty of pictures with the evolution which I intend to share with the forum

Why wait a few months before moving them out? I keep my seedlings/saplings outdoors from the very beginning.

They already have roots, so why apply root hormone?

persimmon wrote:

Why wait a few months before moving them out? I keep my seedlings/saplings outdoors from the very beginning.

They already have roots, so why apply root hormone?

In regards to the root hormone:
I've came across this thorough article on root development and it happens that the trials are on JBP: bonsaitonight.com/2015/07/17/effect-of-h...ltivated-for-bonsai/

Given that I have a bunch of JBP seedlings, I would like to try this technique (besides, pruning and wiring are 2 years far away while this technique can be performed soon).
What I do not understand though, in that article, the seedlings have a brown stem, but the pines length are short (unlike mine with green stem and long pines).

In regards to exposing the seedlings outside:
Currently, it happens that I don't have the possibility to place plants on the outside of the window.
I will be moving out soon, and I will have a balcony. I hope the seedlings will manage until then