Trident Maple Material Arrived, Help requested

[moke]

Does Matt have a web site?

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Does Matt have a web site?

https://kaedebonsai-en.com/shop/

 

[WNC Bonsai]

You’re not alone, my shipment from Matt just got here—10 tridents, 3 Korean hornbeams, and 3 Chinese quince. The Quince have full blown leaves on them, and the tridents are breaking bud. The sad thing is I had planned to stick these in the gound but now we have a freeze predicted for Monday night and more next weekend. With their advanced state, putting them in the refer is out. I guess I can try putting in the ground and then piling leaves up over them for some protection. Maybe it won’t be a killing frost

OK, with the long range forcast of temps in the 20s for several days the leaf cover may not be enough protection so I developed plan B. I will stick the little trees in 1 gal nursery pots in my garage and later next summer move them to a growing bed outside. I figure I can put all my seedlings and recently collected material into the back of my pickup and move them “en masse” out into the driveway when it is warm enough and back into the garage at night. Good thing I only drive the truck about once a month anymore.

 

[BigBen]

I think I'm going to go ahead and plant my new Trident seedlings in the mixture I mentioned above, in large enough (yet shallow) pots, to let them grow for a year or two, then repot them into grow boxes.
I'll keep them in the unheated Sunroom or the unheated garage, until the threat of cold-ass temps is gone. LOL...

Any different thoughts/ideas for these baby Tridents?

Thanks Again,
BigBen

 

[JudyB]

I think you could pot them now and replant them this fall if you want. I would not try to plant them out after potting them this spring until the roots have had a season to grow. But If you don't want to do this dance next year, you need to have a plan. You'll want to take them outside when the weather permits, and bring them in for the cold nights. Welcome to the two-step.

 

[BigBen]

Thank you Judy!
Should I use my 40-40-20 Bonsai mix or "regular" potting soil?

Thanks Again,
Ben

 

[JudyB]

I never use potting soil, but others do. It all depends on how your watering habits are. Potting soil is harder to remove after a season of growth than bonsai substrates are. Maybe you could mix some bark into bonsai soil if you need more water retention. I've even put trees in the ground with bonsai substrates for soil.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

One trick I tried with the tridents involves some old CD discs. I drilled 1/4” holes in 3-4 places around the disc. I then inserted the seedlings through the holes with the roots just below the disc and planted them with the disc about 1/2” below the soil level. As the seedling grows over the next year or so the bark will eventually cut into the side of the holes and force the plant to grow new roots above the disc. Eventually this will result in a flat new set of roots and the old roots can be cut off. By the time I am enjoying the big sleep this new root mass will grow together creating the highly desirable turtleback, but maybe I am being too pessimistic and I’ll live long enough to see if it reall works!

 

[BigBen]

Thanks again Judy!

Thanks also Cofga.

Instead of going nuts searching for training pots, screw it; I'm gonna go buy some cedar 1 by's, pet screening & galvanized screws tomorrow, and build some nice grow boxes.
Plenty of ideas here on BN, from which to choose. LOL...

Maybe I'll also use the "tile trick", and plant them a above a tile.

 

[small trees]

Maybe I'll also use the "tile trick", and plant them a above a tile.

I've done this with a few seedlings and will be cutting the lower roots off this year. I used a ~6x6x1" piece of wood for each and drilled them at various angles to hopefully introduce movement as low as possible. If they turn out well I will make a thread. I had pictures of the process but lost them when i changed phones.

 

[BigBen]

Hmmm... Are there benefits to having the holes in the 6x6, as opposed to a solid surface for the roots to grow along?

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I never use potting soil, but others do. It all depends on how your watering habits are. Potting soil is harder to remove after a season of growth than bonsai substrates are. Maybe you could mix some bark into bonsai soil if you need more water retention. I've even put trees in the ground with bonsai substrates for soil.

I think your comment about being able to more easily get the bonsai mix out as compared to something like commercial potting mix is the important point. MiracleGro potting mix is mainly just ground peat, bark, and some fertilizer. If you leave the plant in the pot or ground long enough all that stuff will decompose leaving you with nothing but roots to tease apart. I can’t tell you how many times I have had to do that with pot bound nursery stock.

 

[small trees]

Hmmm... Are there benefits to having the holes in the 6x6, as opposed to a solid surface for the roots to grow along?

I think I worded it poorly. See the attached(poorly drawn) picture, but I'm only drilling one hole. I'm just drilling it at different angles to help create nebari that will match the movement at the base of the tree. I definitely wouldn't drill multiple holes as that would just give the roots that should grow as the tree swells an escape route downwards.

 

[BigBen]

Gotcha.
Thank you for explaining it.