Dear Etsy Fans, Bonsai Mix 2 Please find for sale the first of the two bonsai tree seeds mixes that I have for sale. I have picked each mix to contain a nice mix of colours & leaf forms. in this mix you will get 10 fresh seeds of each of the following: Paulownia [Paulownia Tomentosa] Chinese Elm Ulmus Parvifolia] Japanese Cedar [Cryptomeria Japonica] Red Maple [Acer Rubrum] PLEASE NOTE: All orders received before 8pm (Mon-Fri) will be dispatched same day Germination Guide These tree seeds benefit from a period of cold stratification. Stratification is a process of simulating natural conditions that the seeds must experience before germination can occur (if a seed germinates in the middle of winter it will die). in the wild, seed dormancy is usually overcome by the seed spending time in the ground through a winter period & having its hard seed coat softened up by frost & weathering action. This cold, moist period triggers the seed’s embryo; its growth & subsequent expansion eventually break through the softened seed coat in its search for sun & nutrients. Get a handful or two of vermiculite, perlite or sterile compost (microwave compost in a plastic bowl for 3 minutes) then allow to cool. Add a little water to the mix. Should be moist but not wet Place in small ziplock bag Place in bottom fridge or in cold shed/outbuilding for 4-6 weeks Spread bag contents on a tray of moist compost. Cover very lightly with compost or vermiculite Keep in a warm place 15-25c Seedlings should appear after 15-25 days Keep moist - best to place seed tray inside a waterproof container & water from the bottom Pot on as required Olly’s General Guide to Seed Sowing! I love sowing seeds & it runs in the family - dad, granddad & finally my great-granddad for whom the hobby helped him get over his experiences in the Great War. I still get a big kick when I see the first seedling poking through from a new plant that I have never sown before or been successful at. However, even the most experienced gardeners draw blanks from time to time. Whilst I sow all the seeds that I sell so I know that they are viable, some are trickier than others & problems can arise so here are some tips to make blanks few & far between: 1) Don’t Rush! Tempting though it is when that packet arrives in the post to simply bung the seeds in some compost! 2) Google & YouTube are your friends! Take some time so see the methods other people use to germinate the seed. 3) Think Nature! What conditions do seeds face? For example a seed from a tropical plant will fall to the warm, wet & dark jungle floor. A seed from the mountains of Europe will fall to the floor in Autumn, then have to endure months of freezing temperatures before germinating in the spring. So as growers, what we are trying to do is to simulate the conditions that the seeds will naturally experience & there are plenty of tricks that can be done to short cut the processes somewhat. 4) Good compost pays dividends. The best investment you