I've just purchased a few varieties on bonsai seeds, in particular Chinese Elm. I have left the seeds to soak in water for a week and planted into a standard soil, watered the soil, placed in plastic container under a uv lamp (tory tample, nowt dodgy!!!). Please could anyone advise me if this is ok, or if I should do this any other way, also does anyone know how long they will take to shoot?The above should read Torty (Tortoise) Table, sorry!!!

My grandmother and mother both train/grow bonsai... It has always been my understanding that Bonsai is the result of "miniaturizing" a full size plant through cutting back the roots, limiting soil/pot size, and cutting back the branches in very specific ways. Eventually, the leaves/needles will start getting smaller and smaller - however, the flowers and fruit never miniturize. Additionally, wires and weights are places on the branches to train the plant into artistically pleasing shapes or to make them look their out in nature (windswept/struck by lightning/new growth out of old trunk that has died away). It's a lot of work and attention to detail - not a matter of planting some seeds and having a true Bonsai grow - maybe the seeds are those plants that are generally amenable to miniaturization. Or they are miniature varieties of particular species - but I don't think these would be true Bonsai. http://www.bonsaisite.com/On a general note, I think that seeds would germinate in a matter of weeks if kept in damp soil and in a warm sunny place. Don't know what "tory tample, nowt dodgy" means.Edit - please make sure the container has drainage - either a hole in the bottom or large gravel on the bottom for excess water to go to - you don't want your seeds to rot.