Got a new Trident Maple, thinking about redesigning it into an informal upright

[Mattfly]

Hello, I recently picked up a new trident maple with a beautiful trunk and nice root spread. I’m not really a fan of the broom style though as it hides a lot the beautiful trunk and just looks kind of boring and bush like. I’m wondering if I can get away with cutting off a good amount of branches this year and redesigning it. I can always wait until next year but just wondering when the best time would be for the health of the tree. I have tons of branches to choose from and from what I can see it has decent taper already. Cat for scale. Thanks yall

 

[Eckhoffw]

Nice. I would start by doing the routine pruning. Such as, growth pointing straight up or straight down. Then, I would pull some of the exterior branching down to create separation and light penetration to the interior.

I don’t think you have to part with a dome style canopy to reveal the trunk line.
With some subtle wiring and pruning, we could have enough of a window to see the trunk.

 

[Mattfly]

Nice. I would start by doing the routine pruning. Such as, growth pointing straight up or straight down. Then, I would pull some of the exterior branching down to create separation and light penetration to the interior.

I don’t think you have to part with a dome style canopy to reveal the trunk line.
With some subtle wiring and pruning, we could have enough of a window to see the trunk.

Thank you I hadn’t considered wiring the exterior down slightly. Just moving a few branches down I see some new ideas. I’ll study up more on dome styles and the process behind it. I know Walter pall does some beautiful domes

 

[Shibui]

Right after the leaves are fully open is a good time to prune or chop trident and most other deciduous. If you decide to convert your broom style to informal upright now is a great time.
Just not sure why someone pays for a nice broom style with the aim of making informal upright. Don't be fooled into thinking such a transformation will be instantaneous. It may take longer to convert something like this than to start with a smaller tree and grow informal.
Surely there's better and cheaper informal starting material?
Glad to hear you are considering alternatives.

 

[clem]

Maybe air-layering the trunk 1 inch below the first branches ? in order to start with better nebari (if the air layer is a succes) + generous branching

 

[rockm]

This isn't really a broom style. It's a tree that has been topped and left to its own devices. The interior branching shows that as it has no real sense to it. The tree is also too tall.

If this were mine and I was going for an informal upright and I wanted to do more than just rearrange bad branching, I'd chop the trunk (And all the foliage along with it) about an inch above the final curve on the trunk...That would begin to set a pretty nice shohin to mame sized trunk to develop branching and an apex on.

 

[Katie0317]

This isn't really a broom style. It's a tree that has been topped and left to its own devices. The interior branching shows that as it has no real sense to it. The tree is also too tall.

If this were mine and I was going for an informal upright and I wanted to do more than just rearrange bad branching, I'd chop the trunk (And all the foliage along with it) about an inch above the final curve on the trunk...That would begin to set a pretty nice shohin to mame sized trunk to develop branching and an apex on.

How do you determine that is the tree is too tall?

 

[rockm]

How do you determine that is the tree is too tall?

Proportionately to the width of the trunk

 

[Colt Carson]

About a month ago I removed my Trident from a tub, pruned the roots and removed half the top of the tree. My tree was already producing leaves when I did this, and has been growing vigorously in the month since.

Windswept or Slant Style?

Hello fellow enthusiasts… I recently transformed this Trident Maple, which style would you say it’s closer to?

www.bonsainut.com

 

[Mattfly]

This isn't really a broom style. It's a tree that has been topped and left to its own devices. The interior branching shows that as it has no real sense to it. The tree is also too tall.

If this were mine and I was going for an informal upright and I wanted to do more than just rearrange bad branching, I'd chop the trunk (And all the foliage along with it) about an inch above the final curve on the trunk...That would begin to set a pretty nice shohin to mame sized trunk to develop branching and an apex on.

It looks like there’s been two trunk chops already when I move around the branches. But yes this is the sort of answer I was looking for when I posted. I’m still kind of considering chopping a lot of branches and picking a few to develop but if that doesn’t look good I could always chop where you said as a plan b I reckon

 

[rockm]

It looks like there’s been two trunk chops already when I move around the branches. But yes this is the sort of answer I was looking for when I posted. I’m still kind of considering chopping a lot of branches and picking a few to develop but if that doesn’t look good I could always chop where you said as a plan b I reckon

None of that existing branching is worth fooling with from what is shown in the photos. It is all in the wrong places (like coming out at centralized points), emerges from the trunk at wrong angles and is far too high on the trunk to be of any use. Wouldn't waste the next two years trying to make it work...