Trident maple prebonsai question

[karen82]

I purchased this prebonsai trident a month ago. It had been ground grown and just dug up, I wrapped the roots up in damp newspaper and bagged them, and put it in an old refrigerator in the garage to wait out the coldest weather.

A few days ago, I decided it was warm enough to unwrap and pot it up, I'm still keeping it in the garage for a little shelter for the next few weeks or until it begins to wake up.

I'm still new to bonsai so my question really is pretty basic. This tree doesn't have much taper after the first 4 or 5 inches, so I plan to eventually airlayer off the top and chop the bottom fairly low, and I know I need to have it strong and healthy to do that. It has undergone a lot of stress - I know I need to let it grow and recover this year - or will it need longer?
Also, is there any way to encourage it to grow a low branch of some sort prior to chopping -just to make the chop a little easier on the tree?

 

[chansen]

Let it recover, but how long will just depend on the tree. Watch it. When it's strong, the growth will reflect that. Hard pruning will encourage lower buds to pop, but you can also prep a branch for a lower thread graft. Lots of info already here on thread grafting, but if I remember right, markyscott has a good amount of info on it in the Ebihara Maples thread.

 

[Melospiza]

I would suggest that you leave it as it, since it has enough movement to make up for the lack of taper. Especially if you brought that strong side bracnh lower, you would be able to make a very graceful silhouette like this one:https://cdn3.volusion.com/jv7nk.96qhu/v/vspfiles/photos/B1FOUND-3.jpg

 

[markyscott]

Let it recover, but how long will just depend on the tree. Watch it. When it's strong, the growth will reflect that. Hard pruning will encourage lower buds to pop, but you can also prep a branch for a lower thread graft. Lots of info already here on thread grafting, but if I remember right, markyscott has a good amount of info on it in the Ebihara Maples thread.

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/grafting-101.26456/

But since you’re new to bonsai, I wouldn’t recommend chopping or grafting right now. These things require some long term vision and more than a basic level of knowledge. Instead, consider focusing on learning the skills necessary to keep the tree alive and healthy in a small pot. You can make a nice tree with that and , but the time you’ve outgrown it, you’ll be ready to do something more advanced.

S

S

 

[karen82]

I wanted to thank everyone for the advice.
I didn't really want to chop and airlayer it, but the trunk just gets slightly fatter at the midpoint where the branching starts and I'm afraid that will only get worse if I let it grow freely this year. But I know I also need to wait and let it recover and get more practice caring for it.
I looked into thread grafting. It sounds like it isn't too stressful to the tree, would that be something to try the first year if I get a suitable shoot? It seems like it needs something down there, even if just a sacrifice branch to help the lower trunk keep up with the upper trunk.

 

[ajm55555]

You can make a nice tree with that

Agreed. You can sure start with some branch selection, once you have an idea of its future shape.

 

[sorce]

I looked into thread grafting. It sounds like it isn't too stressful to the tree

For safety purposes...I would increase the believed amount of stress to the tree horticulturally...

And while it may not be too stressful to health.....

It can be HIGHLY stressful to the design if you mess up!

Which...IMO....
Is way more important!

Cuz previous health on an ugly tree...
Well we may have been better off just killing or on purpose years ago!

I watched A trident uglier than this get pruned into something rather beautiful under WP the other night at THG.

With time and correct pruning it seems this could be a lovely tree, which would then be deserving of a second look, to see if it still needs layering or grafting.

Sorce