Growing Bonsai From Seed or Cutting: The Long Game and Why It Is Worth It
Most people begin bonsai by buying a ready-developed tree. But there is another path, growing your own material from scratch, that offers a different and deeply satisfying relationship with the finished tree. Starting from seed or cutting takes longer, requires patience, and demands some additional knowledge, but the tree you ultimately shape is entirely your own creation from the very beginning.
Growing From Seed
Growing bonsai from seed, known as misho in Japanese practice, is the slowest route to a finished tree. Most species take years to develop sufficient trunk thickness and character to begin meaningful bonsai work. A Japanese maple grown from seed might take five to seven years before it is ready to style. A pine can take much longer.
What seed-grown trees offer is the most complete control over the development of the nebari, the surface root spread, and the trunk taper from the very beginning. Trees grown from seed and trained from their earliest stages can develop qualities that are very difficult to achieve in collected or nursery-grown material.
Practical Tips for Seed Growing
- Many tree seeds require stratification, a period of cold and moisture, before they will germinate. Research the specific requirements of your chosen species before sowing.
- Sow into free-draining seed compost or a fine bonsai mix and keep consistently moist but not wet.
- Once seedlings are established, begin root pruning early to encourage compact root development rather than long tap roots.
- Be patient. The first two to three years are about root and trunk development, not design.
Growing From Cuttings
Propagating from cuttings is faster than seed and produces a tree that is genetically identical to the parent plant, which is useful when you want to replicate a specific cultivar or tree with qualities you admire. Many species, including Chinese elm, Ficus, willow, and privet, root readily and quickly from cuttings.
Taking Cuttings Successfully
- Take semi-hardwood cuttings in mid to late summer, when growth has partially firmed but is not fully woody.
- Cut to around ten to fifteen centimetres in length, removing lower leaves and leaving two to four leaves at the tip.
- Dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder or gel and insert into a free-draining cutting mix of perlite and compost.
- Keep humid and out of direct sun until roots have formed, usually four to eight weeks depending on the species and temperature.
Air Layering: A Middle Ground
Air layering is a technique that encourages roots to develop on a branch while it is still attached to the parent tree. Once rooted, the branch is removed and potted as an independent tree. It is faster than seed, produces a tree with immediate trunk thickness, and can be used to propagate from a parent tree with good qualities. It is well worth learning once you have the basic skills in place.
Finally
Growing your own material is bonsai at its most fundamental. The trees you bring on from the very beginning carry a different kind of meaning from those you buy ready-made. The time invested is long, but the connection to the finished tree is unlike anything a purchased specimen can offer.
