Growing a bonsai from seed is a unique adventure, full of surprises and patience. Today, we take you on a journey through the true story of one of our little protégés: a Black Locust, lovingly grown from a seed featured in our Bonsai Box and Bonsai Box Deluxe . 📦🌳
🌱 Week 1: A lightning-fast seed!
Unlike other bonsai species, Black Locust does not require stratification to germinate. Stratification is a process that involves placing certain seeds in a cold, humid environment for several weeks to simulate winter—an essential germination condition for species like maple or pine.
📚 👉 Discover stratification and the seeds concerned here
After just 7 days, we were surprised to see a small green shoot appear, and in three weeks we had two healthy shoots. An impressive speed that makes Black Locust an excellent choice for beginners! 🌿
💧 Month 1: Rapid growth and daily watering
During the first month, we were very careful about watering , a key factor in ensuring good growth. We sprayed our young plants morning and evening, with tap water that had stood for at least one night (which allows the chlorine to evaporate).
💦 👉 Learn more about choosing the ideal water for your plants
The result: a shoot that grows visibly! The Black Locust shows surprising growth energy from the first few weeks.
🪴 Month 2: The slowdown… and the first repotting
Around the second month, we noticed a marked slowdown in growth. Nothing alarming: this is often a sign that the roots are starting to run out of space.
So we proceeded to the delicate step of repotting. At this stage, it is crucial to:
- Choose a pot adapted to the size of the shoot
- Handle young roots with care
- Use a nourishing and well-draining substrate
🎥 👉 Watch our video in the last step of the Bonsai Box user guide
👉 Read the full article on repotting here
Repotting is a stressful time for the plant, but also vital for its future development. It's scary, but you have to try! Separate each of the shoots into a different pot.
☀️ Months 3 to 4: Trial by Fire and Explosion of Growth
Every gardening adventure has its ups and downs... One of the two seedlings didn't survive repotting. 😢 It happens, even to the most experienced. But the second sprout exploded with vitality! Here's an honest photo of the survivor and the other...
During these weeks, we observed an almost daily progression. The shoot even began to overflow from its little Pikachu pot (yes, really!). This meteoric rise is undoubtedly due to the use of our LED growth lamp , which provided our bonsai with the ideal light to develop.
💡 👉 Discover our article on growth lamps
🪴✨ Months 4 and 5: Second repotting and heading towards pruning
At the end of the fourth month, our Black Locust needed more space again. So we repotted it a second time, this time into a larger pot. This was very stressful for our plant; the leaves drooped completely, like a scared dog. We continued to water it abundantly and provide it with light for 12 hours a day with our grow light.
Since then, our young bonsai continues to grow wonderfully. Next step? Pruning! A delicate but exciting phase, which will allow us to begin giving shape to our miniature tree. We can't wait to show you what happens next... 🌿✂️
🌳 Conclusion: The Black Locust, an easy and rewarding bonsai
In just 5 months, our Black Locust went from seed to a vibrant little tree. Thanks to rapid germination, careful watering, adequate lighting, and careful repotting, this bonsai has provided us with a wonderful gardening adventure.
💚 Want to try it yourself? It's included in our Bonsai Box and our Bonsai Box Deluxe . Get started, and share your progress with us!
