Trident in ground summer work?

[MrFancyPlants]

I have a trident starting it’s second year in the ground. I planted it as a small tree that was rather un-inspiring, from a club auction 5 or 6 years ago. It sat in a small pot and didn’t do much in that time. I not only have no direction for it, but can’t even see what is going on with it in it’s raised bed full of weeds. I think read about how tridents roots can really get away if left for more than a year.
Should I spade around it and cut some branches to check on the progress? Or, let it keep on until Next spring, lift it, take a close look to clean it up, and plant it back in the ground from there?

 

[sorce]

I'd worry spading around may encourage anything downward growing to take over.

I would guess a ground trident has enough vigour to be removed and worked.
Bad timing though.

Truth truth....

Just layer it off later, 90% chance of a better nebari.

Sorce

 

[MrWunderful]

Yeah I agree with @sorce . Set up ground layer unless it had an outstanding nebari already. Then you have a great start on one year roots, and the tree has momentum.

Early/ Mid summer is a great time for big chops on trident, wound re-work or defoliating sacrifice to allow light to enter. Set the structure if you are looking to dig in a year or two.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Yeah I agree with @sorce . Set up ground layer unless it had an outstanding nebari already. Then you have a great start on one year roots, and the tree has momentum.

Early/ Mid summer is a great time for big chops on trident, wound re-work or defoliating sacrifice to allow light to enter. Set the structure if you are looking to dig in a year or two.

When you say “set the structure,” how much do I need to worry about branches? There is some growth in the right places, but weak and at the end of long internodes. Can I focus on getting the thickness right and maybe movement, without worrying about where the actual buds are?

Thank you for the tips, from a trident newby.

 

[MrWunderful]

When you say “set the structure,” how much do I need to worry about branches? There is some growth in the right places, but weak and at the end of long internodes. Can I focus on getting the thickness right and maybe movement, without worrying about where the actual buds are?

Thank you for the tips, from a trident newby.

setting the structure is setting the branches (primary structure) unless it needs a gigantic chop to set the trunk line.

generally one would start developing the lowest branches “first” because in traditional bonsai design, the lowest are the thickest and most mature so in a way, the “oldest”. The uppers and middle can be built later,or built at the same time and constantly pruned hard to keep in scale with the design.

Anything that has very long internodes should be cut back to the first node and rebuilt from scratch with a combination of pinching/growing out/cutting back but that all has to be managed with the overall design to keep it in scale.

 

[njperson1984]

This appears to be a Amur maple, not trident.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Good catch, I think you are right that it is an Amur. They are a bit more prone to dieback after chops, correct? I’ll be sure to leave healthy sized stubs for a while after any cut backs.

 

[Shibui]

I've found that it is almost impossible to develop branches while trees are growing in the ground. Growth is way too vigorous so any branches end up too thick, too straight and too long internodes. Ground growing is to develop trunks. Just grow the trunk. Ignore all the branches. Most ill be either cut off or reduced to stubs when ground growing is over.
Branches are developed in the next phase when the tree is in a grow box.
After that the tree goes into a smaller pot to develop ramification and fine twigs.