Amur Maple Trunk Chop

[Colorado]

Although raw, this is still one of my favorite trees in my garden. Seems to always be one of the first to leaf out in the spring, and one of the first to show the first hints of fall color.

Most of the leaves are still green, but the oldest leaves offer a little sneak peak of what is to come

 

[Colorado]

The timing was perfect this weekend to work on this maple. It grew vigorously all year, sending many new shoots from the base. I removed wire, pruned, and rewired when the first flush hardened off in early summer. I removed that wire late summer.

Here’s the tree before fall work:


I didn’t prune much at all, since I am still trying to build size and thickness in the base and the trunks. I wired for direction and movement.



I will plan to really let it hulk out next year and keep an eye on the wire in spring. This is one of my cold-hardiest trees and I don’t really provide any winter protection unless we get some kind of really freakishly cold storm come through. I do place in the shade when leafless.

 

[Corrado]

I wonder if I can do this drastic chop to my ugly shaped rough bark trident ?? Does the trunk need to be at least an inch thick with alot of roots or can it be still be 1/3" thick at the base and still sprout out new shoots from the base if chopped ?? Oh one other thing that Joshua Roth pruning saw ,where can i buy one?

 

[Shogun610]

Like the movement you’re putting into this. Is it a direction you’re taking for more of a multi trunk / clump style?

 

[rockm]

Why are all the branches sooooooooooooooooo long?

 

[Colorado]

I wonder if I can do this drastic chop to my ugly shaped rough bark trident ?? Does the trunk need to be at least an inch thick with alot of roots or can it be still be 1/3" thick at the base and still sprout out new shoots from the base if chopped ?? Oh one other thing that Joshua Roth pruning saw ,where can i buy one?

I have no experience with tridents, but I think a little larger trunk would get a more vigorous response.

I believe the saw came from Sumo Bonsai Supply. Great saw!

 

[Colorado]

Why are all the branches sooooooooooooooooo long?

Because it is in raw development. Still thickening the trunks and primary branches. This is a long term project.

 

[Colorado]

Like the movement you’re putting into this. Is it a direction you’re taking for more of a multi trunk / clump style?

Thanks, and yes I am absolutely going for a clump style!

 

[Shogun610]

Because it is in raw development. Still thickening the trunks and primary branches. This is a long term project.

Right and you have more leverage to put those initial bends in, once ramification is more prevalent, you can mix clip and grow while still putting in direction w some wire on newer more malleable growth.

 

[rockm]

Because it is in raw development. Still thickening the trunks and primary branches. This is a long term project.

OK, but why wire sacrifice branching to the ends?

 

[leatherback]

OK, but why wire sacrifice branching to the ends?

Gives a nice idea of what the crown will look like?

 

[rockm]

Gives a nice idea of what the crown will look like?

About five times too wide...IMO, but his vision isn't mine, so I may be assuming a lot here.

 

[Colorado]

OK, but why wire sacrifice branching to the ends?

Obsessive compulsive

I agree with your point that most of it will eventually be pruned off. And yeah, some general idea of what a silhouette might look like. I don’t mind the extra wiring.

Don’t fret, it will be pruned hard next year!

 

[Colorado]

It was a nice Saturday morning, and perfect timing with leaf drop to do some fall work on this tree.

Earlier this summer I removed all the wire and pruned it pretty hard. That was around June. Then I left it grow out for the rest of the year.





The leaves came off effortlessly. Here’s what it looked like before the fall work. Quite a bit more ramification.



Next I reduced 3s and 4s down to 2s. Then I pruned each shoot back to 2 or 3 internodes. Next spring the furthest node should push strong growth with long internodes. When I post-flush prune, then I will prune back to the closest node and hopefully get more manageable growth. Even though it’s still in raw development it’s still no good to have huge internodes because I can’t build on those. Last, I applied 2 wires to reposition a couple critical branches,



Base is thickening up a bit too.



Now I’ve tucked it away in the shade where it will remain until spring.

 

[BobbyLane]

Thats shaping up well.

 

[GGB]

When I post-flush prune, then I will prune back to the closest node and hopefully get more manageable growth.

cool strategy, may borrow that for some other maple species. Tree is coming along very nicely

 

[Hartinez]

I really like this tree TJ.

 

[Colorado]

Thats shaping up well.

I really like this tree TJ.

cool strategy, may borrow that for some other maple species. Tree is coming along very nicely

Thanks guys! I’m having fun with it,

 

[Berra]

I love it! How do you fertilize it during a season? I want growth like that too

 

[Colorado]

I love it! How do you fertilize it during a season? I want growth like that too

Thanks! For this tree I used Biogold starting when the buds opened until leaf drop, reapplying about every month or so. Then I also applied liquid fish and seaweed fertilizer once or twice a month….depending when I remember to do it