Trident growth

[Rod]

I’m getting some trident maple saplings. About 24” tall and want to grow the trunks out to about 2 1/2-3” in the ground or air prune pots. In a semi perfect world can this be done in 2-3 years, what should I expect to achieve in that time period.

 

[Dav4]

Definitely achievable growing in ground but zone 5 may be problematic. I had no problem in ground growing with tridents in zone 6 MA 15 years ago and still got periodic die back over the winter. Another option might be growing in a flat and wide wooden box or anderson flat. Allow the roots to escape into the ground each growing season, then dig in the fall and protect appropriately. The growth won't be as good but the likelihood of winter kill would be reduced. If you have more than a few seedlings, I'd try both approaches.

 

[SeanS]

I’m in 9b and got incredible growth planting some 1 year old tridents in a large raised grow bed last season. Most were strapped to rocks and allowed to grow unchecked all season. They went from 1/2 a pencil thickness to close to an inch for the most vigorous ones.

This isn’t even the thickest, most vigorous one, but it put on some great bulk!

 

[Rod]

I like the roots over the rock looks great.

 

[Rod]

Definitely achievable growing in ground but zone 5 may be problematic. I had no problem in ground growing with tridents in zone 6 MA 15 years ago and still got periodic die back over the winter. Another option might be growing in a flat and wide wooden box or anderson flat. Allow the roots to escape into the ground each growing season, then dig in the fall and protect appropriately. The growth won't be as good but the likelihood of winter kill would be reduced. If you have more than a few seedlings, I'd try both approaches.

I was reading to Morton arboretum sight they say they are hardy in northern Illinois and Chicago, but that is there opinion and may not be from experience as you have had. I’ll try both ways and see what happens. Thanks.

 

[Dav4]

I was reading to Morton arboretum sight they say they are hardy in northern Illinois and Chicago, but that is there opinion and may not be from experience as you have had. I’ll try both ways and see what happens. Thanks.

Awesome. I hope both groups do well for you. Tridents are supposedly hardy down to 5a according to some sources but only to 6a by others... lots of conflicting info out there. There is a member here, Don Blackmond, who says he has grown these out in 5a Michigan, so I'm glad you're going for it. Looking forward to seeing your results.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Rod - I pride myself on knowing Illinois, I had to look up Secor. That's not terribly far from Peoria. Far enough south that these days I would say you are more zone 6 than zone 5, unless you are in wide open prairie or farm fields.

I have not been able to successfully winter trident seedlings outdoors without protection at my home, near Lake Michigan, right at the IL-WI border. Tridents are not reliably hardy this far north. Now there may be some variation due to source of seed, some southern China or Taiwan sourced seed might be less cold tolerant than seed sourced from more northern areas of Japan, Korea, and more northern areas or China.

There is also the possibility that someone was looking at Acer ginnala thinking they were looking at a trident, Acer ginnala is very, very winter hardy, and to some degree superficially resembles a trident maple, until you take a close look. I highly recommend the Amur maple, Acer ginnala for anyone living in zone 6 thru zone 4, as they can be wintered with little or no extra protection. I've heard they can be wintered in zone 3 with only a little extra protection. I winter my Acer ginnala simply by setting its pot on the ground for the winter. That's it.

Tridents are really a tree for zone 6b and warmer. Acer ginnala is the one to use for 6a thru 3b.