Repotting after hard prune

[Deleted member 24479]

I have another trident I ground grew that's been in a nursery can for a couple years now - I'm finished building the trunk (sans carving down the shoulders where chops were made [side note, should I go ahead and carve these now, or after the tree has leafed out and can heal itself quicker?]) and I'm ready to repot into better soil, either a box or an oversized bonsai container, whatever I have that's best suited.

My question is, should I be concerned about doing this repot before the top of the tree has awakened? Buds are still dormant. I know we generally repot more refined trees as buds extend in order to shorten internodes and create denser branching, my reservation is from a fear that there won't be enough energy reserves in what's left of the root system to create new buds over the entire tree and heal the big cuts that have been made in the past month.

I do have an unheated storage space I can utilize in the case of freezing temps, so proper aftercare will be provided. I'm in zone 8b, so our winters are pretty mild.

Thanks nuts

 

[Hbhaska]

You could repot in spring as the buds break without pruning much of the fine roots and you would be fine. Personally however, I would wait for the tree to recover unti next year to repot. I stick to one major insult at a time. I have found that this gives the tree a much better chance of flourishing than doing too much at once.

 

[Dav4]

I'd re-pot and do the root work that this one needs- regardless of the recent canopy work- at the appropriate time... it's a trident and won't care. Fwiw, I'd do the same with a palmatum, too.

 

[Scorpius]

I've done major emergency repots in the heat of summer and still kept maples alive. Just don't mess with the roots too much and you'll be fine.

 

[Shibui]

I routinely chop tridents down and root prune real hard in one operation. That's usually mid winter where I am which is well before buds start to open but any time prior to full growth is OK. Trident maples are definitely exempt from the one insult business.
Make allowances for colder winters which I don't experience here.

 

[dbonsaiw]

sans carving down the shoulders where chops were made [side note, should I go ahead and carve these now, or after the tree has leafed out and can heal itself quicker?

I'm curious to understand how one goes about carving down these types of "shoulders" to give a more rounded look to the cut. Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 24479]

I routinely chop tridents down and root prune real hard in one operation. That's usually mid winter where I am which is well before buds start to open but any time prior to full growth is OK. Trident maples are definitely exempt from the one insult business.
Make allowances for colder winters which I don't experience here.

Thanks for your response. Where are you?

 

[Deleted member 24479]

I'd re-pot and do the root work that this one needs- regardless of the recent canopy work- at the appropriate time... it's a trident and won't care. Fwiw, I'd do the same with a palmatum, too.

When you consider the appropriate time? Before the tree has bud swell, or after the first flush has hardened off?

 

[Dav4]

When you consider the appropriate time? Before the tree has bud swell, or after the first flush has hardened off?

The best time to re-pot tridents, imo, is when the buds are swelling and leaves are beginning to unfurl. For you in E NC, that might be in the next few weeks.

 

[Shibui]

Thanks for your response. Where are you?

Not sure if you've noticed the personal profiles next to each post?
I live at Yackandandah in South East Australia.