Black Pine Bonsai Tree Kit

Product Description

Grow Bonsai Trees from seed with this Complete Black Pine Bonsai Seed Kit. Perfect for children or any individual who wants to get their hands dirty and learn the hobby of Bonsai. The seeds in this kit will germinate and continue to grow for many years. Kit includes Black Pine Bonsai Seeds, Ceramic Container, Bonsai Potting Mix, Pebbles, and Instruction Guide.

Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii). The Black Pine is a very popular evergreen for bonsai use. Easily recognized by its rugged purplish black trunk and short, fine needles, the Black Pine can withstand pruning and trimming to any shape. Black Pines bud once a year and typically start to produce new buds in late winter or very early spring. In early spring, the buds will start to swell then take on a spiny appearance as the tips of the new needles emerge.

Features

• Complete Seed Kit with everything you need to grow Black Pine Bonsai from seed
• Seed kit includes Black Pine Bonsai Seeds, Ceramic Container, Potting Mix, Pebbles, and Instruction Guide
• Kit includes enough Black Pine seeds to germinate several starter plants
• Size, shape, and color of ceramic container may vary
• Gift Box measures 3"L x 3"W x 3"H

Top Reviews

Exactly as Advertised
by Seamus Alexander (5 out of 5 stars)
June 9, 2014

First, let me say that yes, this kit is small. The listing states that the box the kit comes in is a 3 inch cube; logic should tell you, then, that the pot that comes in it can't possibly be any larger. The pot is square and measures about 2.5 inches on a side, which is plenty big enough for starting some seeds.

Another issue I've noticed in reviews for this product is a misunderstanding of the water seed test. Yes, if a seed sinks it is viable and if it floats it is not, but the test doesn't work for dried seeds, which these are. If the seeds are soaked overnight, the viable ones will absorb water and sink while the duds will not and continue to float.

Now, on to my review.

The kit includes:

A glazed starter pot (measures about 2.5" square)

Pebbles (to be placed at the bottom of the pot for drainage)

Soil (I would estimate about enough to fill the pot twice)

Seeds (I received around 15)

Plastic bag (to be placed over the pot to create a small greenhouse)

Instructions (pretty basic, but still helpful)

To start, I took six of the included Black Pine seeds and, ignoring the instructions, soaked them in a small dish for several hours; they all sank, so I knew they were all viable. I then planted them about 1/8" deep in the pot, watered the soil thoroughly, let it drain, and then placed the pot inside the provided bag. After about a week, I had two sprouts and after about two and a half weeks, four of the six seeds I planted have sprouted. During the day, I place the pot under a small lamp with a CF bulb to provide light and a little warmth. The first two sprouts are about two inches tall now, and starting to grow their first true leaves.

Even if only two of the four sprouts make it, that'll be all the bonsai trees I need and, should I ever decide to grow more, I still have plenty of seeds left.

UPDATE 7/11/14

It's been just over a month and a half now, and I'm happy to report that I still have four black pine seedlings. I just transferred them to their own pots (I should have done it a while ago) and am excited to see how they grow now that they aren't crowded in that tiny pot.
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Sapling success!
by DZ (5 out of 5 stars)
December 3, 2015

I have been growing my black pines for just over a month now and have had great success with this kit thus far. I have three saplings started, one of them is a month old and the other two are about two weeks.

Before I planted the seeds I followed the simple (maybe too simple, a little more detail at times would be nice) instructions on preparing the container. One thing the instructions do leave out is the need to soak the seeds in water for at least 24 hours before plating. This helps to weed out some of the bad seeds (bad seeds don't sink) and also helps to put the good seeds into a state where they are ready to be planted and sprout.

My first planting I soaked two seeds in water over night. In the morning I noticed one had sunk to the bottom (good seed) but the other was still floating (not so good seed). When I returned home that evening the floater had sunk. I planted the seeds the following morning. After about 10 days I started to see one sapling appear. The other never did sprout, probably the seed that took longer to sink but I lost track of which was which.

After the first sapling appeared I began soaking three more seeds. I wanted at least two trees and seeing how the first yield was 50% my logic was by planting three my odds for getting at least one more was pretty good. All three of these seeds sunk over night and I planted the following morning. Of these three, two of them have sprouted. So thus far I have had a 60% success rate on the seeds, not terrible but considering the cost of the kit and the fact that I still have about eight seeds left, I am not disappointed.

I do have my trees growing under a lamp that provides light for ~15 hours a day. I also water every morning using a spray bottle until water starts to come out the bottom of the container. One thing to remember that the instructions do stress is DO NOT LET THE SOIL DRY, EVER. Even with mine under a lamp for most of the day, watering once a morning has been fine. I can not speak to the longevity of these trees but so far they seem strong.

Lastly, the container. It isn't terribly large, big enough to start your trees for sure but you'll need to move them to their own containers after a few months. The size is close to 3/4 of a pop can. It isn't cheap looking to me and I wouldn't mind having it displayed somewhere.

Overall I am satisfied with this kit as I have trees growing right now. I would recommend this to anyone interested in growing their own bonsai trees. Remember that these are living things. They must be cared for and nurtured, don't expect to throw these seeds into the soil, leave them for a month and come back to an amazing tree. It takes time but that is where all the fun is. I wish you success with your bonsais!
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Wonderful little novelty gift--and a dozen seeds sprouted and are growing!
by jillchil (5 out of 5 stars)
March 10, 2016

We planted the little pot that comes with the kit. On the day the kit arrived, I ran to Walmart and purchased a Jiffy 12 cell indoor greenhouse with peat pellets (cost 3.88). I soaked the seeds for 24 hours and ignored the advice about tossing seeds that floated... I planted all of the 15 seeds. I planted 3 in the little pot that came in the kit, and then I planted the addional 12 in the Jiffy kit from Walmart. Of those 15 total seeds, 12 sprouted and are still alive! They broke through the soil 2 weeks after planting. And now, with them being about 6 weeks old, the little trees are about three inches high.

I would suggest that anyone who plants this in the little pot that comes with the kit find a way to hold in humidity. Even though there are products out there for such use, you can just as easily cut a clear plastic 2 liter bottle about i/4 of the way down from the top (cut away the tapered part) and then place the pot on a dish and invert the 2 liter bottle over the top. The Jiffy kit from Walmart for the extra seeds comes with a clear top (the little set up kind of looks like an egg crate). But holding in humidity is important until the trees get up about an inch or so.

I would also suggest a sunny south-facing window so that the seeds get a lot of warm sunlight throughout the day.

Then, after they've sprouted, you'll want to water very frequently with unchlorinated water. We just used generic bottled water for human consumption. Worked great.

Of everything that I've bought on Amazon the past year, this is one of my favorites--it's an adorable novelty, and I will buy more for green-thumbed friends.
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Patience Required.
by Katie M. (5 out of 5 stars)
April 21, 2016

I bought this kit a year ago, I followed the instructions and did a little research of my own. Eight seeds sprouted without trouble. They grew rather well for a couple of months before I transplanted them outside because I read online that they grow better outside. Six of them died, but two kept on growing. Come winter, I brought them back inside where the smaller of the two survivors died. I've got one left now and it is growing strong, I've successfully transplanted it back outside for the spring/summer. Just remember that these are actual trees you're growing. It takes a long time to see any progress, just be patient and be prepared to lose some sprouts.

I've attached a picture of the survivor after one year of growth. A little bit of bark is starting to form at the base.
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Good product, good success rate.
by Ames in the West (5 out of 5 stars)
February 15, 2015

I received this product exactly as advertised. I planted my seeds on January 27th, 2015, and I have included a picture of how they look today (February 15th, 2015).

I received about 20 or so seeds in my seed packet. I planted 6 seeds then I placed a plastic baggie over the pot after planting to create a little greenhouse, and placed them under a standard desk lamp. All I had to do was keep the soil moist and wait. I now have 7 healthy looking black pine sproutlings. My guess is I dropped an extra seed in the pot by accident, and still it sprouted. That's a 100% seed success rate so far. I'm very pleased with my purchase.
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Almost 5 Stars
by Aurons Girl (4 out of 5 stars)
March 23, 2015

I was surprised I managed to grow much because of the iffy reviews on this product.

I didn't really follow the instructions given to me though. I found a website with bonsai growing instructions. And what I did was soak my seeds for 24 hours. All the seeds that aren't dead will sink to the bottom and the bad ones will float. It takes awhile for them to absorb the water but all my seeds sunk. I got about 8-10 seeds in the kit but I only used 4 just in case. After that I wrapped my seeds in a wet paper towel and threw them in a ziplock bag and left them in the fridge for the week. After that I planted them and it took over a month but I got 3 little saplings.

The downside to this product was that I didn't get enough dirt to fill my small container. I have a good half an inch of space between the dirt and the top of my pot. It wouldn't have been too big of a deal but I planted these in January and I couldn't get soil anywhere to fill in the gap. Also, the rocks were a little too small so they kept falling out of the hole in the bottom of the planter.

I almost didn't get this product but I saw that Eve's Garden has a guarantee on seeds. If they don't grow they said they will send you a replacement seed pack totally free. I didn't have to try this option but it was nice knowing it was there.
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Tiny Tree kit!
by Susan Terri (5 out of 5 stars)
September 16, 2016

I got my Eve's Black Pine Bonsai Seed Kit, Woody, Complete Kit to Grow Black Pine Bonsai Tree from Seed. I can't wait to grow my own bonsai tree. Complete Seed Kit with everything you need to grow Black Pine Bonsai from seed. Seed kit includes Black Pine Bonsai Seeds, Ceramic Container, Potting Mix, Pebbles, and Instruction Guide. Kit includes enough Black Pine seeds to germinate several starter plants. Size, shape, and color of ceramic container may vary. Gift Box measures 3"L x 3"W x 3"H. I love the fact everything came in one kit.
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I followed the instructions without doing anything extra to the ...
by nagahide13 (5 out of 5 stars)
October 5, 2018

I followed the instructions without doing anything extra to the seeds, and about 8 of them germinated within a week. Right now 2 weeks after planting they're about an inch and a half tall. As far as I'm concerned the kit delivered. It's up to me from here!
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After trying to grow for roughly four months I finally gave up.
by Andrew (1 out of 5 stars)
May 19, 2017

I would recommend NOT wasting your money on this Bonsai kit. After planting literally 20 seeds like the instructions said, I only had two trees sprout. After about two months one of the plants died off, followed by the next one a month later. I will also note that I followed the provided instructions exactly as stated, including the watering amount & frequency. Best of luck if you do decide to purchase!
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Pretty cool
by Josh E. (4 out of 5 stars)
February 18, 2017

Pretty cool little setup. The soil was kind of a pain to get fluffed up, but after I got it figured out everything went great. Had my first seedling in a week (till the cat ate it). After relocating got two more. 50℅ growth from seeds isn't bad considering I had never planted a seed before.

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