File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Hey /an/. I'm going off to college soon, and was thinking it would be good to have a plant/small animal in my dorm room. Being a dorm room, the only animals I could have would be fish (only 10 gal or smaller tank), but I'd be willing to bet I could make a case for an ant farm. However, I was thinking my best bet would be a plant, which are allowed. I've been picking and choosing, and decided it would probably be one of these:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/8039/
or a bonsai tree. My questions are regarding bonsai trees, since that seems simple enough (water every once in a while, keep in sun).
1. I've never had any official experience with plants.
2. Since it's a dorm room, it'd likely be sitting by the window more than being outside, if indeed I could ever get it outside on a regular basis, which is unlikely. Furthermore, this is in a northern area (Ithaca, NY). Is it even possible to support a tree in these conditions?
3. I'm short on cash, so if it were a bonsai tree, I couldn't invest massive amounts of money into it. I want to say at absolute most $50-$60.

What should I do, /an/?

Pic kinda unrelated.
>> Anonymous
Some bonsai fare alright indoors provided you use a decent fluorescent grow light.

http://www.bonsaiboy.com/catalog/recommended.html

You might want to consider buying some seeds and just starting your own from scratch.
>> Anonymous
OP here, thanks for the link. Another question though; what kind of materials/tools are needed for bonsai tree growing?
>> Anonymous
Japanese Peace Lily.

Oxygenates the room, helps you think, it's needs are simple...

Plus, featured in Hot Fuzz so you know it's gotta be good.
>> Anonymous
OP here, bumping my post.
Any more advice, comments, or answers to what I'll need?
>> Gardener
OP, I don't know if bonsai would be the right thing for you. I find them rather hard to manage, and in the end, it might be a bit frustrating.
Well, you're in zone 5, but it's not so bad. Even if you don't have any plant experience, it's not hard getting in to it. AND, if you're short on cash, this won't cost much at all.
Now, I've always found fruit trees/plants fun to grow, even as an ornamental. It's really easy to germinate papaya, mango, citrus, etc. The possibilities are ENDLESS.

I'll list some and some instructions. Now, for some, you can germinate them by wetting two paper towels, putting the seeds in between, putting the towels in a sandwich bag, and putting it in the sun. It works really well. I'll refer to it as Bag Method.
>> Gardener
1. Pineapples: Cut off the top with the leafy part, and then cut off the remaining flesh. Pick a few leaves off the bottom, let it sit out for a couple hours, then put the bottom of the it in a glass of water to root.

2. Avocado: Take pit, let it sit out for about two weeks. Make it face thin side up, stick three toothpicks in it at the middle to hold it up, and put it in a cup of water so it's suspended above the top, but the bottom half is in water. It'll take a while, but soon roots will come then a sprout. Plant it then in a pot.

3. Citrus: Remove seeds, remove aril (thin, slippery seed coating) and set out to dry. Bag Method.

4. Melons: Remove seeds, let dry, bag method.
Any melons will work.

5. Apples: Sometimes a seed will be sprouting inside the apple AKA the seed is cracked a bit with a taproot coming out. If you're lucky, this will happen. If you can't find seeds like this, Bag method. Bag them up, put them in the fridge for 30 days, then plant them.

6. Stone fruit (peach, plum, etc.): These are a bit hard, they need cold stratification. Put them in your fridge in baggie method for 30 days-2 months.

7. Papaya: Squeeze one end of the seed to pop the seed out of the aril. After you have enough, put them in a bowl of tepid water for 24 hours and discard any floating seeds.

8. Mango: Eat mango, scrape away bits, very carefully open up the seed to find a lima-bean like seed, baggie method. Try to find one that's not ugly looking... Find one that looks clean or white.

9. Sweet Potato: Suspend in water like avocado seed, pointy side down. Very pretty vine!

10. Prickly Pear: Get a pink one, take out seeds, dry them, bag method, don't keep it too wet.

11. Pomegranate: Chew up aril, don't hurt the seed, bag method.

I have a lot more OP, tell me what kind of fruit you like and I'll tell you how to sprout it. Good luck!
>> Anonymous
a catus, you can forget about watering it.
>> Anonymous
>>289667
How long should the roots/tap root of the Avocado be before you plant it in the pot?
>> Anonymous
>>289568

Agreed. They're tough, simple to care for, and have pretty flowers. :)
>> Anonymous
Oh god. Don't get a bonsai. Those things fucking suck if you can't devote 8 hours or more of your time to them.
>> Gardener
>>289688
I left mine at about two inches before planting. This gives it a chance to have a nice, long sprout coming out of the top.