Aiming for graceful trident

[thatguy]

Trident maple under my care. Caliper is maybe 1.5-1.75 below soil surface. Nice flare at base especially right side. Nearly inverse taper on left but essentially flat down to the roots.

Trying to think about how low to chop and being new to this, when specifically to do so. The most interesting part of the tree is the bottom where it has some gentle curves. Any input or thoughts are welcome!

Cheers

 

[luvinthemountains]

I think it depends on your goal. If going for a shohin, you may just want to chop it back to that first front branch poking us in the eye. Then wire that and start growing the last section of your trunk. But if you want a much taller tree, you could do the same thing but plant it in the ground and train several years for taper and movement.

 

[leatherback]

This trident has all the interest in the lowest quarter of the trunk. The rest is straight by the looks of it. Making it into a gracefull trident would, in my opinion, mean you will have to loose the top 3/4 of the trunk, and rebuild from there. Of course, then taking care to bring gentle curves in the trunk. Then you could take one side branche, set the main trunk and let a few branches on the back of your future front grow tall, thickening the trunk. You probably only need 1-2 years of strong growth to bring the new trunk into perspective.

To help with a broader nebari, consider next repot to use a pot twice as wide, and half as high.

 

[thatguy]

This trident has all the interest in the lowest quarter of the trunk. The rest is straight by the looks of it. Making it into a gracefull trident would, in my opinion, mean you will have to loose the top 3/4 of the trunk, and rebuild from there. Of course, then taking care to bring gentle curves in the trunk. Then you could take one side branche, set the main trunk and let a few branches on the back of your future front grow tall, thickening the trunk. You probably only need 1-2 years of strong growth to bring the new trunk into perspective.

To help with a broader nebari, consider next repot to use a pot twice as wide, and half as high.

Definitely agree with the right approach I think it is a couple years from having the trunk close to finalized. And I am thinking the same thing in regards to building the trunk up from the top of the most interesting movement. It has a minute amount of taper above that, but is ramrod straight almost. In late winter I will do a flat cut above that point on the trunk and let it grow out for the rest of this season, monitoring to ensure no inverse taper occurs. Since it was placed in that pot this year I am debating the effects of repotting in spring vs leaving it in there for the coming season before switching it to a flatter mesh bottom grow tray. Thoughts?

 

[leatherback]

Thoughts

I personally am always in doubt whether you want a chop when it has all energy stored, versus in summer when regrowth might be slower (But with closer internodes). Similarly for rootwork and chopping. Rootwork will reduce the stored energy and chopping could hamper. Then again.. Chop in winter. Come spring, buds start to form. As buds start to open, do the rootwork. Might be the way?

 

[sorce]

If you have space to store the top, I'd layer it.

Sorce

 

[thatguy]

If you have space to store the top, I'd layer it.

Sorce

Layering the top..not a bad idea at all! It hadn't crossed my mind. Would be good practice, my first layering.

 

[sorce]

Do it right!

Sorce

 

[thatguy]

Do it right!

Sorce

Sorce what is right?? Probably tourniquet for all this coming season, then good old sphagnum rooting horomone nursery pot the season after, would learn alot. But delay health and development of parent tree by another couple years. Don't think it is possible to progress the lower half while asking the upper half to produce roots. Decisions...

Where you marked the tree there is a natural leader already there toward the side/back...

 

[sorce]

Sorce what is right??

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Sorce