Trident Maple Help, One for Smoke

[Mellow Mullet]

I have had this trident for some time and it had some inverse taper issues, so I tried to air layer it, three times, and was unsuccessful. After looking and reading Al's blog, I decided to chop it. I waited a couple of weeks and then cut the chop at an angle and fertilized it well and let it grow. What so I do now? Do I leave it alone and let it grow another season? Wound the callous to force it to heal faster? Chop the leader some? What so you guys think? I hope to one day have one of the "three little pigs".

Here it is before the air layer attempt:



After the initial chop:



After growing for a bit:



Further chopping and shaping (late Feb/early March 2013):



This is where it is now (picture taken Oct 2013):



What do you think? More of the "where it is now" in the next post, it will only let me post five pictures at a time.

Thanks,

John

 

[Mellow Mullet]

More Pictures of the Trident

More present day pictures:

 

[Jason_mazzy]

I want that! nice.

 

[seth ellwood]

Wow pretty drastic change . If it were my tree I would plant it in to a cement mixing tub from lowes the smaller one and let the apex extend to heal over the scar and give you the desired taper then chop it again to develop the apex.You might end up needing to do a few thread grafts to get branches where you want them later .I have a video I shot on a maple I did somthing similar to this on that might interest you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-H1iBVCa0k

 

[Mellow Mullet]

informative video, thanks.

John

 

[seth ellwood]

Your welcome hope it helps. I have others on this tree and alot more .2 new ones I just finished editing and will post soon.

 

[Smoke]

Wow pretty drastic change . If it were my tree I would plant it in to a cement mixing tub from lowes the smaller one and let the apex extend to heal over the scar and give you the desired taper then chop it again to develop the apex.You might end up needing to do a few thread grafts to get branches where you want them later .I have a video I shot on a maple I did somthing similar to this on that might interest you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-H1iBVCa0k

Thats what I would do also. It has developed really well. The flare on the trunk is the same as what mine did.

 

[edprocoat]

Thanks for the video Seth ! How long do you think it will take to fill out the top enough to chop and will most the scar heal. I would assume the top growth will be first and then the top chop will need to heal and taper too. I have never dealt with a Trident before but I have seen some of Al's and they seem to grow fairly quick. And what is your intended height when finished?

ed

 

[edprocoat]

John sorry to in effect hijack your thread with my question to Seth. Your tree looked neat before, I thought I seen where you did at least one thread graft to it and I assume it was chopped to remove the scarred trunk. I do not have the vision to see the tree after the chop takes place and I am working on two Malus varieties that I have chopped and now I am the state where I am second guessing how I will ever hide the chop even though they are much smaller diameter than what you, Seth and Al are working with. Keep us updated please.

ed

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Ed,

This is the first time that I have attempted a chop on something this size also. I had a done a couple of thread grafts and a least one approach graft on it. It had some really bad reverse taper issues half way up and would have never look right, that is why I wanted to airlayer it and get two trees out of it. Just could not get the layer to take. I read what Al was doing with his on his blog and became inspired so I chopped it. It grew all of the callous and the leader that is larger than my thumb in one season (about eight months between the pictures) so I am hoping that it will be close to closing the wound from the chop and be ready for chopping again this fall. I hope to have the finished height at about 12 inches or less.

Seth and Al,

It is planted in a chopped down six or eight gallon nursery can. Do you think that is large enough or should I move it to the mix tub?

Thanks,

John

 

[Smoke]

That would be large enough for me. Keep in mind that as soon as you cut away all the rank growth for good, the trunk will stop growing. Get what you want before you cut it all back, cause if you still need something closed or fatter you have to start all over again with the sacrifice branches.

 

[seth ellwood]

It is planted in a chopped down six or eight gallon nursery can. Do you think that is large enough or should I move it to the mix tub?

Thanks,

John[/QUOTE]

I would plant it in to a smaller 2 foot by 1 foot cement mixing tub. The more room you give the roots to develope you will get twice the girth and apex heigth which = more healing. Another technique you can do is re wound the callous area with a razor blade cut aprox 1/16 of an inch around the inside of the wound again I know it sounds counter intuitive but it really works and re seal with cut paste this will further expand the callousing rate.