Hello to All,
Cam,

as someone in the Tropics,I stick the black pine seeds
in the vegetable crisper section of my refrigerator for
about 3 months or if I forget them longer.As long as the
container is air tight and dry[normally I don't open the
pack unless I am planting all in a shot.A seed pack often
holds 30 seeds.],they will last.

For soil,it's sand/fine gravel [size - 0 and o] to 3 inches
deep,with a very little peat moss mixed in and a treatment
with a soil fungicide.I think what I used was called Banrot.
As Andy says,outdoors,and for me it's light shade with
a mesh over the surface to stop anything from interfering
with seed.

Germination starts within 9 to10 days and the mesh
is removed as the seeds break through the sand.

After six months or so,I transfer to individual 4" pots of sand
with a little peat moss.Sand is this big - 0.

I have never had the guts to do the chop off the root technique
of seedlings as seen in the earlier issues of Bonsai Today,so
I handle root placement at a later stage.
Placement in 4" pots is full sun.

Once their happily growing,fertiliser is every two weeks and
they get lots of water as the soil mix drains well.

Please factor in that I have no winter or spring or other and
I can start seeds whenever I wish,though I usually do so
around my birthday in February.Makes it easier to remember
when they were born.
I am on batch number 6.

I even got white pines to live for 2 years and then the parasol
ants pruned their heads-bah humbug.
Until later.
Khaimraj
[ West Indies/Caribbean]

*I have grown seed from Japan and England,from commercial
packs.


-----Original Message-----
From: cam
To:
Date: 26 January 2004 20:44
Subject: [IBC] Japanese black pine


Hi:

I`ve been trying to get some Japanese black pine seeds to grow.

So far, everytime I plant the seeds, they sprout great, get to about 2
or 3 inches tall then die.

Any ideas? Should I chill the seeds first? I`ve heard that this is
sometimes necessary for effective growth.

PS The seedlings that I tried to grow were done indoors. I was
planning (had they lived) to move outside in spring.

Thanks.

Cam
www.bonsaichat.com

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