First Bonsai: Jack Pine

Fletch

Well, as Matt said Pines & peat, not a good combination. But to answer your questions.

1. Pines typically need 2 to 3 months stratification (cold treatment) after soaking to break dormancy and then can take another 2 to 3 months sown in favourable conditions (well drained soil, regular watering, warming temps, sunshine, etc.) before they will germinate and even then success rate will likely be less than 50%.

2. Jack pines generally grow very quickly in favourable conditions but are rather spindly looking affairs when young and would not be my choice for a first tree. Though I suppose if you are fortunate enough to keep one living for a number of years they might make an interesting literati style tree...

3. The best advice I can give to someone interested in starting in bonsai would be to begin with a little homework. Go to your library, look for books specifically on bonsai and perhaps even visit your local bookstores (or the web stores) and pick up a book or two on beginners bonsai. Read whatever you can find online and then go to your local nursery or Home Depot and buy a few inexpensive trees to 'experiment on' (tropicals were my first victims, I mean subjects, but without knowing your location and the like its hard to advise on any specific species). Expect to kill a few (or quite a few) trees as you learn but always look for the lessons they teach.

Don't let a few setbacks discourage you, in time all but the most obtuse of us have gotten the hang of it .

__________________
Advice worth every penny you paid for it.

Regards
Fletch