Trident Maple help

[Colorado Bonsai]

I just bought a Acer buergeranum: Trident Maple from the Denver Botanical Gardens this last weekend for next to nothing. It is about 3' tall and as big around as a pencil. Can I air layer this to about half the size?

Thanks!

 

[jk_lewis]

You CAN layer something that skinny, I suppose, but I think you'd be better off in the long run by chopping the tree and using the leftovers for several cuttings.

 

[Poink88]

I agree with jkl...not worth layering IMHO. Just take cuttings, if they don't take, no real loss. You will have more later from the bottom part if need be.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I'm just curious as to why you'd want to reduce its size? It's got a pretty small trunk right now, so I'd just be focused on growing it out for a while to thicken the trunk.

 

[Colorado Bonsai]

Not sure what to do with it... It just seemed that the heigth was disproportionate to the width bu such a large margin. It's so tall I didn't want it to break in half. Thanks for the advice.

 

[nathanbs]

Not sure what to do with it... It just seemed that the height was disproportionate to the width bu such a large margin.

You are right it is but are you happy with a pencil thick bonsai trident? If you are than chop it as suggested and start developing it as bonsai, if you are not than letting it grow and grow until the trunk is the desired thickness then chop down the height is the only thing to do..

 

[coh]

Not sure what to do with it... It just seemed that the heigth was disproportionate to the width bu such a large margin. It's so tall I didn't want it to break in half. Thanks for the advice.

I've got trees like that (in development). Just put it next to something that you can loosely tie the trunk to (about half-way or a little higher), so it can move but not break in the wind.

 

[Harunobu]

You trunk chop when the trunk is big enough. Then you grow a new apex that is less thick than the base.

To get a thick base you let it grow until it is thick enough. Preferably with sacrificial branches that are low on the trunk.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Trident maples have 3 lobes, this appears to have 5. Looks like a sweet gum, at best, maybe some type of palmatum or japonicum.

At any rate, its not likely to successfully layer something this thin. Cuttings may be a better way to go.

 

[Gaitano]

It looks like an Acer Truncatum I have.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It looks like an Acer Truncatum I have.


View attachment 35715

...or that! Good call...