Help needed for Gourds and baby trees

[Jeannine]

Hi, I have this yearning to grow a good selection of gourds, I had a few planted last year but the floods claimed them. I have bought quite a few different seeds for this year and would like to connect to someone who knows a lot about them, I am OK with the growing, but the drying and curing I need to learn about.

Also I have bought several tree seeds from abroad and would like to try to grow Bonsai.
Is there anyone oout there with experience , I know nothing at all about this, except I tried a few years ago to germinate some with 0% results, these seeds are from an excellent company so am more hopeful

Any Help Appreciated XX Jeannine

[Jeannine]

[Eristic]

I can help a bit with the bonsai in the first few years of growth. Sow the seeds like any other then pot on individually to 3" pots. Their first year requires normal tlc but after that they have to be left in the pots to get potbound and a bit stunted. Watering will be the biggest problem as they dry out and die very quickly

Good bonsai are artforms requiring dedication as most of the normal rules of growing are broken. A lot will ultimately depend on how seriously you are taking the hobby as bonsai societies will have very strict rules about what is allowed or desirable, whereas if you just want miniature trees you shape and prune to your own pleasure.

Seedlings are not usually put into fancy dishes until they are several years old. Below is one of my efforts that does not come close to any rules but was somewhat an accident, then an experiment, then part of the furniture so to speak.



Acer platanoides 'Crimson King' (12 years old in picture). Basically a sycamore tree.

[Jeannine]

Thank you, I am pushing on a bit for long term but I will do it anyway,when should I sow them, do they need heat, should I soak the seeds,how long before I see the seeds show growth.Thank you again XX Jeannine

[Eristic]

All that rather depends on the species being grown. Pretend you are growing them normally until after germination and pricking out to individual small pots.