Trident Maple Repot

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Spent a bit of time repotting this trident maple yesterday the leaves are opening out so didn’t have much choice. Got a cold couple of weeks so hopefully my protection is adequate.

There’s still a couple of crossing branches but I think I’ll just leave those for this year and see how it leafs out.

Handheld for scale and before guy wires were put in place.
 

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Shibui

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That's a nice small trident. The upper chop is still a bit abrupt but hopefully that will even out in a few years. I think you still have a few too many clusters of branches that are likely to cause localised swelling so as well as the crossing branches I would also consider reducing the number of branches growing close together.
Postponing pruning until after leaves open is prudent. I have trouble with maples bleeding after spring pruning though that is far less of a problem if the roots have been reduced.
Cold is a subjective term. I don't think London gets cold enough to worry trident maples even after repot. Mine are often repotted earlier in winter and survive direct exposure outside down to -4C down here.
 
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That's a nice small trident. The upper chop is still a bit abrupt but hopefully that will even out in a few years. I think you still have a few too many clusters of branches that are likely to cause localised swelling so as well as the crossing branches I would also consider reducing the number of branches growing close together.
Postponing pruning until after leaves open is prudent. I have trouble with maples bleeding after spring pruning though that is far less of a problem if the roots have been reduced.
Cold is a subjective term. I don't think London gets cold enough to worry trident maples even after repot. Mine are often repotted earlier in winter and survive direct exposure outside down to -4C down here.
Yeah there’s quite a few branches all originating from the same point I think I’ll leave them for this season and in autumn I’ll cut back to select the main branches. I don’t mind having a bushy trident for one season even if it puts me a year behind.

Yeah our coldest temperature is meant to be -3C and if yours survive with direct exposure I can stop worrying about mine 😂.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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You just repotted. Allowing pruning to wait until late spring or summer is a good idea. I would go through and reduce the number of clustered branches this year, rather than wait until next year. Do it mid-summer.

Sometime in the next two years you need to recut the first chop. It will never heal as is. The top edge of the chop needs to blend into to the trunk line. The bottom edge needs to be brought in to make a visually continuous trunk line. You will loose most of the low branches on that stump, but the maple will back bud again after the cut. I did a crude virtual. Remember the virtual is approximate, but it marks roughly where I would cut.

It is a nice tree you have, or I would not have taken the time to do a virtual. Well done.

maple-BarkLeafTree-painted.jpg
 
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You just repotted. Allowing pruning to wait until late spring or summer is a good idea. I would go through and reduce the number of clustered branches this year, rather than wait until next year. Do it mid-summer.

Sometime in the next two years you need to recut the first chop. It will never heal as is. The top edge of the chop needs to blend into to the trunk line. The bottom edge needs to be brought in to make a visually continuous trunk line. You will loose most of the low branches on that stump, but the maple will back bud again after the cut. I did a crude virtual. Remember the virtual is approximate, but it marks roughly where I would cut.

It is a nice tree you have, or I would not have taken the time to do a virtual. Well done.

View attachment 353151
Okay I’ll cut the clusters in mid summer.

With cutting the first chop back how would you recommend doing that? Just nibbling away at it with concave cutters? To past the point where I’d like the trunk line to be, so when it swells and heals it lines up?
 

leatherback

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It might be worth considering planting this trident in a shallow wide tray for a few years and letting the top run a little bit. If you also clean up the old chops, you might find the evening out of the transitions between chops speeds up a bit.
 
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It might be worth considering planting this trident in a shallow wide tray for a few years and letting the top run a little bit. If you also clean up the old chops, you might find the evening out of the transitions between chops speeds up a bit.
Maybe if the roots fill the pot by next year which I’m assuming it will seeing as the size of the pot is quite small (but a fitting size in my eyes) then I’ll repot into a grow tray. What would you use to cut the old wounds back with?
 

ConorDash

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Interesting your maple has seemingly come out of hibernation... I don't believe any of mine have and we are in the same climate.

Snow is heavy now, so they are all frozen and under 2-3" of snow.
That's a nice small trident. The upper chop is still a bit abrupt but hopefully that will even out in a few years. I think you still have a few too many clusters of branches that are likely to cause localised swelling so as well as the crossing branches I would also consider reducing the number of branches growing close together.
Postponing pruning until after leaves open is prudent. I have trouble with maples bleeding after spring pruning though that is far less of a problem if the roots have been reduced.
Cold is a subjective term. I don't think London gets cold enough to worry trident maples even after repot. Mine are often repotted earlier in winter and survive direct exposure outside down to -4C down here.
We are currently in a bit of a freak cold spell. Its a "feels like" (temp in combination with wind and precipitation) of -7 and has been since Sunday and will be till Thursday, Friday. All mine are under inches of snow currently.
I don't have any experience with tridents, so no telling what they can and can't do, from me. Just saying what its like for us at the moment.
 
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Interesting your maple has seemingly come out of hibernation... I don't believe any of mine have and we are in the same climate.

Snow is heavy now, so they are all frozen and under 2-3" of snow.

We are currently in a bit of a freak cold spell. Its a "feels like" (temp in combination with wind and precipitation) of -7 and has been since Sunday and will be till Thursday, Friday. All mine are under inches of snow currently.
I don't have any experience with tridents, so no telling what they can and can't do, from me. Just saying what its like for us at the moment.
I know it’s now tucked away between the wall and a pot with a cover over it to try and stop the frost getting in and the pot is wrapped up in fleece. Mine hasn’t had any snow on it none of my maples have I’ve kept them out of it.

I just want the cold spell to pass!
 

ConorDash

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If there are any exposed leaves, don't expect them to survive this frost. But a few leaves with frost damage is no big deal.
Trident maples are stronger than Acer P but either way, maple leaves are just made for damage...I don't like maples.
 
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What’s the ideal time while it’s dormant?
Like the old Chinese proverb, the best time to plant a tree was 50 years ago, and the next best time is now.
Yes, the carving and grinding and cutting would have been better done before repotting, but can still be done now. The main thing to remember is: don't wait. Defects like bulges will not get better and probably get worse. You'll need to address them eventually so why wait when time is not on your side. I prefer carving in the Spring as trees are coming out of dormancy. Winter is fine. Fall too after growth has stopped. Avoid doing it during the growing season when trees are stressed by heat, water, etc. issues.
 

sorce

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I'm drawn right into the first chop too, glad we're talking about righting that sooner than later.

IMO....it's not something that can wait till later.

Trees heal fine over one cut. Add "clusters" of branches around that, and all of a sudden you have to remove so much, you remove possibility of future branches too. Them you're grafting around shitty holes....blah blah....

This is a great specimen, but it could go so bad so fast.

I wish you would've come for ideas first.

I'm tempted to say, do put it in a basket like LB said, and DO the chop clean NOW.

I feel like it will begin declining in that tiny pot by winter anyway.

Friggin. Nice.

Sorce
 
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I'm drawn right into the first chop too, glad we're talking about righting that sooner than later.

IMO....it's not something that can wait till later.

Trees heal fine over one cut. Add "clusters" of branches around that, and all of a sudden you have to remove so much, you remove possibility of future branches too. Them you're grafting around shitty holes....blah blah....

This is a great specimen, but it could go so bad so fast.

I wish you would've come for ideas first.

I'm tempted to say, do put it in a basket like LB said, and DO the chop clean NOW.

I feel like it will begin declining in that tiny pot by winter anyway.

Friggin. Nice.

Sorce
If I go for the rechop now should I over cut then seal it and expect those lower left branches to die off on their own?

Would it best then to carry out all the works now even if it’s remaining in that small pot for this year?
 

sorce

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With no offense intended, this is the situation I am always speaking caution of...

No sense getting "the best material you can afford" without a long list of stipulations.

You've been.....stipulized!

I think both these threads should be combined to one, since you have similar issues with both.

Both excellent material, but dangerously close to going in reverse due to internet advice, or lack of internet advice at the right time.

It's much easier to make "the best material you can afford", some, "shit you killed", than it is to ....
Well no, it's also easy to make poor material you can afford hundreds of better and more valuable.

The "bug" everyone speaks of being bit by, is sometimes a caterpillar, and sometimes a fire ant.

Sorce
 
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@leatherback @sorce I think I definitely jumped the gun in putting into a smaller pot I like the look of the tree in that size pot so maybe it’s aloud me to see the potential for myself which I couldn’t see in the plastic pot I bought it in.

With temperatures at -3 and getting colder this week should I wait until this has passed to repot it and carry out the work? I’ve got a larger pond basket that I could use maybe I could place a flat piece of wood under the root base to try and help the nebari on it’s way even more.

The base of the nebari isn’t very flat so I’d have to still have soil in the void between the wood and centre of the base of the tree.
 

misfit11

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I agree with what others have said. I do have one tip to pass on with the development of virtually any bonsai though. Always reduce to no more than two shoots per node. Any more any you will end up with a bulge. It looks as if the apex has a spot where multiple branches are emanating from one spot. This will result in a bulge that will only get worse. Looks like someone indicated that you cut back branches after that. You need to cut back before and start over.

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Cory
 
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