Trident maple branches

Rod

Mame
Messages
131
Reaction score
73
Location
Secor il.
USDA Zone
5
I’m new , but I have a question for anyone who will answer. I see all these trident maples with big trucks and all the branches cut off then they try to grow branches back in the same spot or similar spots. Why cut off a large branch and replace it with something smaller not close to perspective size, why not keep the branch and cut it back to get taper. Am I missing something?
 

Gabler

Masterpiece
Messages
2,358
Reaction score
3,195
Location
The Delmarva Peninsula
USDA Zone
7a
I’m new , but I have a question for anyone who will answer. I see all these trident maples with big trucks and all the branches cut off then they try to grow branches back in the same spot or similar spots. Why cut off a large branch and replace it with something smaller not close to perspective size, why not keep the branch and cut it back to get taper. Am I missing something?

Can you give an example?
 

Rod

Mame
Messages
131
Reaction score
73
Location
Secor il.
USDA Zone
5
517DF59A-49EA-4C0A-BF6E-91B3FBBB9F3B.jpeg212C356B-1ACB-454C-982A-B91F4C357FC6.jpegIt this is a couple I’ve seen, it just seems to me that larger lower branches would show more age , and it is already there. I see people on utube trim all the branches then grow smaller ones back. It seems like a step backwards.
 

Shibui

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,545
Reaction score
15,222
Location
Yackandandah, Australia
USDA Zone
9?
Branches grown in the field are often too thick to match the trunk - cut off and start again.
Sometimes they emerge at the wrong angles and it's really difficult to bend a branch that thick - cut off and start again.
Many field grown branches have really long internodes. Few species will sprout new buds between nodes so if we want compact ramification it is necessary to chop the branch and start again. Fingers crossed the new shoot will have shorter internodes to give better ramification. If not, chop and start again until you get the branch you need.

This is just one of the drawbacks of ground growing trees for bonsai. Part of the reason for the high prices for really good stock and another reason you won't achieve instant bonsai even from great trunks.
 

BobbyLane

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,058
Reaction score
17,659
Location
London, England
I know what you mean. part comes down to what Shibui mentioned and part is down to aesthetics and tastes.
some folk dont mind heavy, thick branches or sub trunks, and just cut them back hard, if there are nodes to taper back to, while others prefer to cut off all the sub trunks and grow new aesthetically pleasing branches, what happens with the latter is you end up with a massive trunk with branches that dont quite match for many, many years.
in naturalistic bonsai, most of the heavy subtrunks are kept, if thats what you like have at it mate.

in the tree you posted, you can see where the 4 heavy branches removed were all in the same area and looked to be causing a swelling, in that case maybe that reduction was best. every tree is different right. there are better examples.
 

markyscott

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,112
Reaction score
21,382
Location
Delaplane VA
USDA Zone
6B
In my case (the tree on the left), the field branches were stick straight with no movement or taper and the exit angles were neither consistent nor appropriate for how I wanted to design the tree. Branches are easy to grow, especially on tridents - no reason to keep bad ones.

S
 

BobbyLane

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,058
Reaction score
17,659
Location
London, England
This Field maple was for the most part worked in the ground, by cutting back hard and regrowing. its true that branches grow fast and become courser in the ground, on some species this can be managed, to an extent. what happens with many field grown trees, folk tend to forget about them for a bit
DSC_1567.jpgdsc_0006.jpg
 

Rod

Mame
Messages
131
Reaction score
73
Location
Secor il.
USDA Zone
5
I’m truly curious I’m not criticizing anyone, please don’t take it that way. I’m trying to learn if trident’s can be grown in the ground and basic structural branches can be started. I understand those may have to be cut back. Your tree looks great the main trunk looks like it was grown with those larger branches from the start.
I have some trident seedlings I want to plant in the spring. I don’t want to set expectations too high or I’d like to learn how to accomplish this.
 

BobbyLane

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,058
Reaction score
17,659
Location
London, England
Its not my tree, if referring to the FM.
you can grow and start off structures in the ground, the idea is to study the trees growth over a period. ground growing tends to produce course branch growth, the key is keeping the desirable branches and usually removing undesirable branches. some branches might start out with close nodes, those ones if you nip them early enough should produce desirable movement/transitions.
in the beginning youll want to focus on letting everything grow tho, if you want to build a thick trunk fast.
again, a lot comes down to what styles you like. theres loads of threads on field grown tridents in the search bar. theres one where the OP kept some of the field branches n cut them back i cant find it though. taking lots of pics helps you to monitor the trees growth and know where to cut back to once it becomes a bush. you can nip potential problems in the bud early this way I feel.

I kept a couple of the thick stubs on this FM, I felt they were decent enough to use going forwards
 
Last edited:

BobbyLane

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,058
Reaction score
17,659
Location
London, England
This one had a spell in the ground and some of the branches around the base began to shoot and thicken quickly, hornbeams tend to produce tighter nodes than tridents though, even in the ground, but this is just to show how these stubs can be used, of course with this tree, the trunk and nebari is already good. i put it in the ground purely to thicken up the leader and some branches quicker, as i say, one needs to keep an eye on ground stuff or they get away quickly
 

Rod

Mame
Messages
131
Reaction score
73
Location
Secor il.
USDA Zone
5
Looks great, this helps to know what I can expect, you all are a great base of knowledge and experience being able to see progression of a tree helps to understand what I need to look out for in the development of my trees. It’s one thing to watch a video of someone cutting all or most of the branches, but seeing the series of development goes a long way. I really appreciate your sharing this, thanks. I’d like to see more.
 
Top Bottom