Okay, Now That The Trident Is In, What Should I Do With It?

Isilwen

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I have to wait till Friday for the soil to come in from Amazon in order to plant it, but what kind of pot do you recommend so I can order that as well? Please keep in mind I live in an apartment and have a south-facing balcony that gets morning into the very early afternoon sun. I am unable to plant it into the ground.

Overall, I would like to shoot for this style of tree:

914U4u1yNWL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

This is what it currently looks like:

20210406_093504.jpg
 

MrWunderful

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You need to let it grow for 5-10 years in the ground to get a trunk of that size. In a shallow bonsai pot, it might take 10-20.

But basically it needs a long time to grow.
 

Isilwen

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You need to let it grow for 5-10 years in the ground to get a trunk of that size. In a shallow bonsai pot, it might take 10-20.

But basically it needs a long time to grow.

Okay. So what style can I go with that won't take me till I am 66 to get the trunk that thick? Apartment living sucks sometimes... lol.
 

HorseloverFat

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Apartment living
You do have access to “outside”?
Because this will be important.

I would develop it in a larger pot of nice aggregate soil if I wanted to “plump” it quick, and ground-growing wasn’t an option...

Normally, If it is “quick” you desire.. one would “buy” the trunk..

Orrrrrr.. collect it!!!

Can you “tree hunt?”
 

Isilwen

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You do have access to “outside”?
Because this will be important.

I would develop it in a larger pot of nice aggregate soil if I wanted to “plump” it quick, and ground-growing wasn’t an option...

Normally, If it is “quick” you desire.. one would “buy” the trunk..

Orrrrrr.. collect it!!!

Can you “tree hunt?”

I have access to my balcony and that is about it. Not looking for quick, but don't want to be in my sixties either if that makes sense. I have the trident now and they don't grow wild here. Want to work with what I have currently.
 
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I've grown my tridents in large pots with regular potting soil and they grew to about 3-4 cm base thickness in about 3-4 years... They were outside in my patio which gets sun from early morning till about 2 pm. Just let them grow unrestricted without cutting anything.
 

Isilwen

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I've grown my tridents in large pots with regular potting soil and they grew to about 3-4 cm base thickness in about 3-4 years... They were outside in my patio which gets sun from early morning till about 2 pm. Just let them grow unrestricted without cutting anything.

You used potting soil? So let me ask this, I am being told to use bonsai soil in a different thread of mine and the care sheet that came with it said the same thing to use bonsai soil. I am getting kinda confused... lol.
 

HorseloverFat

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Oh yes.. there is nothing wrong with tridents, they are among my favorites... THIS Trident is quite young.. that is ALSO not a problem..

Broken down into to loose, crappy “formula”... Every METER of green, foliar, or “new growth”.. will thicken roughly 1cm between the spot of “protrusion” and the root mass..

So basically, every new METER you grow of leaves/chutes, thickens the trunk 1cm BEHIND it...

It’s about “T” in this equation... how much time it will require for a tree that size to push out enough leaves to thicken the trunk to your desired range... It will take some time.. but you will get to be VERY involved in it’s development.

Basically ..T’will be fun.. but a longer term project..

If you want pretty, aged trunks (That you see on benches.. or collected from the wild...)you gotta figure, those have ALREADY been growing 20-500 years before we even SEE them...

If you put it in a grow box, make sure the BOTTOM isn’t getting too cold, fertilize the HELL out of it, shape not chop and pay close attention to root health.. you’d have a nice trunk (3-4”) in 5 years, easy.
 

Isilwen

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If you put it in a grow box, make sure the BOTTOM isn’t getting too cold, fertilize the HELL out of it, shape not chop and pay close attention to root health.. you’d have a nice trunk (3-4”) in 5 years, easy.

Grow box? I am new to all this, so I have never heard of a grow box. Not sure I have to worry too much about too cold living in Central Florida... lol.
 
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You used potting soil? So let me ask this, I am being told to use bonsai soil in a different thread of mine and the care sheet that came with it said the same thing to use bonsai soil. I am getting kinda confused... lol.
This is what I do and it's been working so far. But other may do different.

I grow out trees in large and tall pots. It is important that pots are taller than wider to avoid water logging and root rot (the shallower the pot, the worst). So in these large and tall pots, I use a good quality/premium potting soil and let the trees grow unrestricted. When they are thick enough (I am not looking for large sumo-like trees) I move them into a shallower pot (wider than taller) and transition into a more draining soil, tipically pumice and pine bark or LECA (but it varies depending on what I have at my hand at that time). In these shallower pots I focus on growing the primary branches and closing wounds. Only after this is done, are trees moved into smaller bonsai pots with the 'typical' bonsai soil (e.g. akadama, pumice and lava)

By the way, my climate should be similar to yours.
 

Isilwen

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This is what I do and it's been working so far. But other may do different.

I grow out trees in large and tall pots. It is important that pots are taller than wider to avoid water logging and root rot (the shallower the pot, the worst). So in these large and tall pots, I use a good quality/premium potting soil and let the trees grow unrestricted. When they are thick enough (I am not looking for large sumo-like trees) I move them into a shallower pot (wider than taller) and transition into a more draining soil, tipically pumice and pine bark or LECA (but it varies depending on what I have at my hand at that time). In these shallower pots I focus on growing the primary branches and closing wounds. Only after this is done, are trees moved into smaller bonsai pots with the 'typical' bonsai soil (e.g. akadama, pumice and lava)

By the way, my climate should be similar to yours.

Can you show me an example of the large and tall pot you're talking about?
 

HorseloverFat

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I agree about “growing out” trees in larger containers..

I grow veggies in HUGE tidy kat containers!

And just LARGE, plastic pots..like 10-25 gallon nursery buckets..

But for your Trident, I think a #2 nursery container would be sufficiently “oversized”...

But I don’t use just potting soil..(So this may change size recommendation) there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with using it during development.. nothin wrong with that at all..

Just not what I, personally, have been doin’
 
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Regular plastic pots used in nursery stocks with many draining holes. Pick a large one.



Tall pots facilitates percolation and "prevents" overwatering.
 

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You can screw/attach the tree to a board (or flat surface) to stimulate horizontal root spread close to the trunk base. When roots grow past the board edges, they grow down but most will be cut back afterwards so not a big deal.
 

Isilwen

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You can screw/attach the tree to a board (or flat surface) to stimulate horizontal root spread close to the trunk base. When roots grow past the board edges, they grow down but most will be cut back afterwards so not a big deal.

Can I wait to do that or should I do that now?
 

Sassafras

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You need to let it grow for 5-10 years in the ground to get a trunk of that size. In a shallow bonsai pot, it might take 10-20.

But basically it needs a long time to grow.
Wow! So being potted stunts growth that much? Anything that can be done to boost growth in a pot?
 

Isilwen

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I would love to join a club, but the nearest one to me is over an hour away without Orlando traffic and with them meeting on a Friday night at 7pm, that hour is more like two hours of driving.
 

SeanS

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Wow! So being potted stunts growth that much? Anything that can be done to boost growth in a pot?
Wel that’s the point of bonsai isn’t it, stunted trees in small pots. If pots allowed for the same growth the ground does every 40-50 year old maple (like the one in the OP’s goal pic above) would be 10m tall.

@Isilwen how old did you think that tree was you were aiming for?
 

Isilwen

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Wel that’s the point of bonsai isn’t it, stunted trees in small pots. If pots allowed for the same growth the ground does every 40-50 year old maple (like the one in the OP’s goal pic above) would be 10m tall.

@Isilwen how old did you think that tree was you were aiming for?

I figured maybe 10 years? Fifteen at most. Did I decide to get into this hobby too late at 46 years old?
 
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