Shohin trident ? For Smoke

[Smoke]

There is something about the tenacity of tridents that prohibit thread grafts from taking. I quit doing them about five years ago and only do approach grafts, really inarch grafts to be technical. Not as good a angle on the trunk, but they take in about 90 days.

Trunk looks really good. Nice trident.

 

[Giga]

I really need to find a trident.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Update...

 

[M. Frary]

Update...
View attachment 108362 View attachment 108363 View attachment 108364

A man of few words!
It's coming along nicely Brian!

 

[Eric Group]

Update...
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Great job with this one! Would you say it turned out just as you intended, or are there things about it you would have done differently in retrospect?

JFTR, I think it came out damn near perfect as a little "sumo Shohin"!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Great job with this one! Would you say it turned out just as you intended, or are there things about it you would have done differently in retrospect?

JFTR, I think it came out damn near perfect as a little "sumo Shohin"!

It's still really early in the branch-building stage, but a few things I'm doing differently on the next one include:

1. Developing "faster" ramification of the nebari. This one has a good wagon wheel, but will always look overpotted for the height. It's maybe 5" tall, but requires a 12" wide pot in its current state. It can be fixed...with another 2-3 repots. Need to think more about what size the final pot should be when developing something like this.
2. Closing wounds while still in the trunk-development stage. Not sure if I'll ever get the trunk closed on this little one. It is healing, but very slowly now.
3. Leaving more small branches on the trunk to use or eliminate later. It's better than resorting to grafting, when my success rate with grafting is so low.

This one is a cutting from the OP tree...a 2.0 version. It will be bigger, but also better. It's also escaped into the ground, which is good for growing, but tough for photographing:

 

[mcpesq817]

I just reread the thread in it's entirety. The thread, along with the progression, is spectacular. The post above is pure gold...maybe one of the best posts I've ever read on developing tridents. Thanks, Brian, for keeping great records, and thanks, Al, for periodically coming out of the bunker to throw us some pearls like this...good stuff.

I have to agree with Dav4 on this. Really great tree Brian, thanks for sharing with us. And thanks to you and Al for the discussion!

 

[Eric Group]

It's still really early in the branch-building stage, but a few things I'm doing differently on the next one include:

1. Developing "faster" ramification of the nebari. This one has a good wagon wheel, but will always look overpotted for the height. It's maybe 5" tall, but requires a 12" wide pot in its current state. It can be fixed...with another 2-3 repots. Need to think more about what size the final pot should be when developing something like this.
2. Closing wounds while still in the trunk-development stage. Not sure if I'll ever get the trunk closed on this little one. It is healing, but very slowly now.
3. Leaving more small branches on the trunk to use or eliminate later. It's better than resorting to grafting, when my success rate with grafting is so low.

This one is a cutting from the OP tree...a 2.0 version. It will be bigger, but also better. It's also escaped into the ground, which is good for growing, but tough for photographing:
View attachment 108365

Very good info for those of us starting similar projects! Thanks!

 

[Giga]

Great tree - glad it's do so well!

 

[sorce]

Nice...

I hope that's Mrs. BVF's sparkling water!

Sorce

 

[Drew]

@Brian Van Fleet Just read this thread, really interesting and very helpful. Thanks for deciding to post it for us all to follow and @Smoke thanks for your very informative advice! another thread I am now following with interest!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Defoliated this about a week ago to do some work on the chop scars (writing an article about this), and a little pruning. This photo shows good taper and movement, and a rough primary branch structure starting to develop.

 

[JudyB]

Yeah that's a strong shape. nice.

 

[Shima]

It's still really early in the branch-building stage, but a few things I'm doing differently on the next one include:

1. Developing "faster" ramification of the nebari. This one has a good wagon wheel, but will always look overpotted for the height. It's maybe 5" tall, but requires a 12" wide pot in its current state. It can be fixed...with another 2-3 repots. Need to think more about what size the final pot should be when developing something like this.
2. Closing wounds while still in the trunk-development stage. Not sure if I'll ever get the trunk closed on this little one. It is healing, but very slowly now.
3. Leaving more small branches on the trunk to use or eliminate later. It's better than resorting to grafting, when my success rate with grafting is so low.

This one is a cutting from the OP tree...a 2.0 version. It will be bigger, but also better. It's also escaped into the ground, which is good for growing, but tough for photographing:
View attachment 108365

Have you considered ground layering for more control of the roots as they issue from the base?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Have you considered ground layering for more control of the roots as they issue from the base?

Yes, but as abrupt as the trunk is, I'm afraid I'd give up a lot of character. I may be better off grafting in more roots.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Little more work over the weekend...Limbed up the sacrifice branch to keep the canopy from being shaded out, and the grafted right branch has been wired out to the right. I'll probably wait a couple more weeks until the wire cuts in on the wired branch, prune it back and let it go for the last few weeks of the growing season.

It's probably ready to separate, but I'm taking my time and reducing it gradually:

 

[jcrossett]

This tread was amazing. Was great to see the time span and development of this guy. Really makes me want to plant so of my trees.

Great work guys and truely amazing thread and awesome team work.

Remember jelous people always talk smack.

 

[fredtruck]

Neat.

 

[ml_work]

"There is something about the tenacity of tridents that prohibit thread grafts from taking. I quit doing them about five years ago and only do approach grafts, really inarch grafts to be technical"

I have reread this entire thread, to get an understanding as I have plans for a fat trident and it needs lower limbs. I will read and get a better understanding of the above quote and start a new thread for my questions.

Thanks to Brian and Al for your knowledge on this.[/QUOTE]

 

[Adair M]

"There is something about the tenacity of tridents that prohibit thread grafts from taking. I quit doing them about five years ago and only do approach grafts, really inarch grafts to be technical"

I have reread this entire thread, to get an understanding as I have plans for a fat trident and it needs lower limbs. I will read and get a better understanding of the above quote and start a new thread for my questions.

Thanks to Brian and Al for your knowledge on this.

[/QUOTE]
Smoke must be doing something wrong. Or his growing conditions has something to do with it.

Matt Ouwinga, who has shown Tridents at Kokufu-ten, thread grafts a lot. Matt has the best Tridents in the country.