Looking for suggestions

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Chumono
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OK, I picked this up last fall and just pulled it out of storage. I haven't really looked at it too much as of yet, and thought I'd get some opinions. The buds are swelling and I'd like to repot and reduce the clutter. I'm open to any and all suggestions, as I have no emotional investment in this tree, so don't be shy. I stuck a pen cap in the soil for size reference.

Dave
 

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Pine Barron

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It looks like a trident maple to me.
 

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Chumono
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Trident

My bad, forgot this is a general maple forum and not trident specific.

Dave
 

plant_dr

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I'm sorry I'm not too familiar with tidents, they don't do well where I am at. I tried to grow one once and the roots turned to mush the first winter.
 

Dav4

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Your last pic looks good to me. If the roots will allow, I'd use that as your front. Then, get rid of the heavy branches down low as well as the 2nd apex, pick the primary branches and wire some shape into them. Looks promising.
 

bonsaiTOM

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This is the trident from Saturday's meeting right?

If it was mine I would want to remove 1 or 2 of those super-straight branches that are too thick and too high up the trunk.

No need to go on any farther as Dav4 covered my thoughts very well.

But BTW I saw this tree and it is quite nice. It has a good future.
 

riprap

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I second the comment about this tree having a good future. I would add that it's also a good time to work on developing the nebari. Can't really see what may be required with the roots, but early is better than late in the tree's development. (This is advice I'm giving myself too, because I have several trees that look to be at about the same stage as your nice tree. Hope to see how yours develops thru the months and years.)
 

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This is the trident from Saturday's meeting right?

If it was mine I would want to remove 1 or 2 of those super-straight branches that are too thick and too high up the trunk.

No need to go on any farther as Dav4 covered my thoughts very well.

But BTW I saw this tree and it is quite nice. It has a good future.


Tom, this is NOT from the meeting. This is the small one I got from Julian Adams at the September Symposium. (My B-Day present to myself) I've done nothing to this tree since I bought it.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, and hopefully I'll be able to tilt it up and have a decent start to some nice surface roots. I'll cut off all the thick branches and see what is left.

Should I move it to a smaller training container at this point? I'm not really looking to go for a sumo or anything crazy.

Dave
 

riprap

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If it were mine, I would get into the root mass, remove any downward-pointing roots under the trunk, comb and otherwise ensure that the surface roots all came out radially and didn't cross each other or dive back toward the base. I would repot it in a container that was shallower than the present one but with at least the same volume of soil. I don't think it's time to constrain growth by containment just yet. You want it growing vigorously so that the big cuts heal rapidly and you get plenty of budding. To restrain the size, I would progressively cut back the existing large branches -- basically aiming to have a whole new crown of branches that are smaller in proportion to the trunk than what are there now, and mostly more horizontal. If it's growing vigorously, you should have plenty of buds and new shoots to choose from. More than you need, in fact.

This is pretty much my program for my similar trees, and based on experience with earlier ones. I'm in coastal California where we have a big long growing season, but I think the principles should hold where you are as well.

And I'll be happy to hear anybody's critique of what I've said, because I could be off-base. (It's happened before!)
 

bonsaiTOM

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Sorry Dave wrong tree. I wasn't paying attention to the size difference. :confused: Yes I see the pen cap you mentioned.

The birthday trident!!

riprap offers some good pointers here. I'm enjoying the advice given, though I am years away from using it for maples. I'm sure that much of it holds true for other trees as well. Thanks riprap.

My trident bundle, Japanese red pines, Dwarf Hinoki and group planting tray - from Bill Valavanis - International Bonsai - have arrived !!!! NICE, very nice.

Better than Christmas .........:D
 

HotAction

Chumono
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Update!

Well, just a quick update. A wiring and pruning in the offseason should set this up to develop nicely next year. Please refrain from commenting, as you may interfere with me patting myself on the back. :rolleyes:

Dave
 

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