Saflax - Bonsai - Ponderosa Pine - Pinus ponderosa - 20 seeds - The biggest pine species of the world as Outdoor Bonsai. Worth knowing: The fast-growing and frost-resistant Ponderosa Pine is considered the tallest pine species of the world and can become 500 years old. Its valuable heartwood is very heavy - that is where the name ponderosa (ponderous, weighty) comes from. The tree produces relatively big cones and its needles can become quite long as well. The crown is conical and keeps its slender and hastate shape even with old age. The strong bark of the Ponderosa Pine provides protection against smaller forest fires. In the USA, the tree is due to its yellowish heartwood of much economic importance. It is also the official state tree of the US state Montana.. Natural Place: The Ponderosa Pine comes originally from the Rocky Mountains in western North America and has spread from northern British Columbia until Mexico and to the East to the US states of Texas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana and Colorado. Only with the beginning of the 19th century the tree came to Europe, and even though it is frost-resistant in Europe, it is rarely found in parks. Cultivation: Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. To increase the germinability, you should initially keep the seeds in the refrigerator for about a week - then place them for 12 to 24 hours in a bowl with lukewarm water for priming. After that, plant the seeds about 1 cm deep into moist potting compost and cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out. Don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm with a temperature between 17°C and 23° Celsius and keep the earth moist, but not wet. Usually it takes two to three weeks until germination. The first seedlings will come up after four to ten weeks. Place: The Ponderosa Pine tolerates wind and needs a sunny place to grow. Care: Water the plant rather modest and always let the upper layer of earth become dry, before watering again. From March until November you may give fluid fertilzer for bonsai plants every four weeks. In spring you should prune back the new sprouts to one third of their length. Leave only two buds on each branch and cut the rest - during autumn you can also take out old needles. March would be the best time for repotting, young plants annual and matured trees every two or three years. During Winter: The Ponderosa Pine is fully frost-hard and can hibernate outdoors, but has to be sheltered from the direct sunlight and strong wind. In areas with heavy frosts, some protection with a winter fleece is advisable. Water the plant only sparsely on frost-free days. Bonsai: Yes Picture credits: Because of technical limitations links are shown as text. 14947-pinus-ponderosa-seed-package-front-german.jpg - © Kitty Cunningham - About © : Contact SAFLAX - saflax.de/copyright 14947-pinus-ponderosa-cultivation-instruction-german.jpg - Frank Laue - © Saflax - saflax.de/copyright 14947-31-Pinus-ponderosa.jpg - Ragesoss - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 - - . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -