I was given a Grow Bonsai pack containing seeds of 6 trees, last Christmas. Only 2 seeds germinated so I now have a 5" mimosa shoot and an 18" Judas tree shoot. They are both in small pots. What is the next stage? Do I need to put the Judas tree in a bigger pot and should it be outdoors? I would be grateful for any advice.

Judas trees grow wild around here and I have tried to make them live in a pot, with no success. I don't know if that is something I am doing or not.

They belong outdoors. I don't know what the winter requirements are, but they survive quite well in a sunny area with a few nights of frost outside (north central Alabama). It may be that there was an issue with changes of temperature getting to the roots.

Good luck.

Without location information its impossible to tell you if it should be outside in winter or if it needs protection. Indoor in living room condition is not a good option for any tree.

the location is North West in the UK.

North West uk would be usda zone 9 or 10. Judar tree is hardy to zone 9. I would think that protection is needed in winter. A small cold frame or an unheated shed would proboably do.

Congrats for both plants!

I can share my experience with a <1y'old mimosa.
It had sprouted at the beginning of the year in a coconut pellet.
I moved it into a small pot with well drained soil and placed it outside ever since.
It grew tall extremely fast... it now has about 40cm height.

In autumn in Romania, it gets quite windy and rainy.
So I had to anchor the pot and to place a tall stick to sustain the mimosa's main trunk.

So, my advice:
- go for a bigger pot when repotting
- move it outside

PS: it makes these lovely pink flowers that last only 1 day (see attachment)
PS2: I didn't go through a winter season yet, so I do not have any info on that

That's cool, I've seen some good quality Vietnamese Bonsai on that species...

Razvan,

There are several species of this kind of plant. I am assuming you have the Mimosa Pudica. I actually have several of these plants. I was like 10 when I first saw one of these and I have been fascinated by them ever since. I have done extensive research on them and seen them growing in the wild environments of several Caribbean islands. I have been under the assumption that Mimosa Pudica cannot be made bonsai because the lifespan is 2 years. The plant will naturally die. It is actually a kind of ground cover that people down south don't really like because of the sharp spikes. you could try growing the Mimosa tree, also a warmer climate plant but much bigger. My profile picture is my first mimosa pudica when it was very small.

Also some care tips,

don't touch it to often, you can give it fungus infections and it uses a lot of the plants energy in furling the leaves.

Another thing, is after the flowers bloom do not cut them off until the dead flower breaks off on its own. the flower will wilt down a little bit and then heavily spiked seed pods will emerge. Let these dry out and do there thing. (I have done this in in the past )

They are also sensitive to over watering, so make sure you have a light well draining soil mix, or just water it sparingly.

Sorry for the mini essay