Starting from seeds

Collin

Last fall I bought about 20 seeds of 22 different varieties of common bonsai specimens. I set a goal of sowing them on March 15th and started the stratifications of each species based on that date. Most of them are currently in my refrigerator and will be ready for sowing on March 15.

I have had about 10 seeds germinate during cold stratification. I took them out planted them in my sterile seed starting mix. I put them on top of my refrigerator close (about 2 feet) to the flourescent lights in my kitchen.

My question is where I should put these seeds and the seed trays I will have on March 15. Should I keep them indoors or put them outside? I am worried about the low humidity indoors. I am also worried about temperature swings and direct sun outside. I put the early germinators outside overnight and most of the leaf tips turned brown. I have them back indoors now. Indoors I am getting a lot of mold-looking growth on the soil. I am using a copper-based fungicide for control and also to prevent damping-off. I am in zone 8b. The 10-day forecast calls for lows between 40-61F and highs between 70-80F. I have a little mini-greenhouse I can put them in outside but am worried about "cooking" them if it gets too hot. Maybe I should bring them in at night?

My thought is to keep them outside in the greenhouse under partial shade but am not sure.

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Graydon

Colin - outside would be best. Once you place them simply leave them alone except to water as needed. Do not let them stay soaking wet 100% of the time. They need the dry down cycles. I would suggest somewhere in dappled shade or perhaps morning sun only. I would not be concerned with the lows as they would encounter that in nature. Some of them may encounter the highs as well. The sun - well, back to my above statement. Semi shade, dappled shade etc. No direct sun until they sprout and begin to grow out.

Best of luck!

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AaronKhalid

I started some seeds last year (Zelkova and Black Pine) and sowed the seeds indoors (in front of a decent window after they sprouted) just to get an early start... they ended up doing quite nicely. I put them outside after I pruned the taproots and they rooted and put out new growth in a couple of days.

Cordon

I'd agree that outside would be the best place. you only have to worry if you are getting down into frost danger. Otherwise temperate climate trees should do fine.

Cord