Trident Maple

Bolero

Omono
Messages
1,199
Reaction score
1,201
Location
Plymouth, Michigan
This is my Double Trunk Trident Maple after a major chop 8 weeks ago..from 24" H to 12" H....No pot, in the ground....
257877257878
 

Attachments

  • P8160041.JPG
    P8160041.JPG
    194 KB · Views: 3

leatherback

The Treedeemer
Messages
13,934
Reaction score
26,854
Location
Northern Germany
USDA Zone
7
Looks healthy.

Is this intended for bonsai? If so, why not chop (much) lower? Seems to me this trunk has only little to no taper or movement?
What is your plan?
 

Bolero

Omono
Messages
1,199
Reaction score
1,201
Location
Plymouth, Michigan
Looks healthy.

Is this intended for bonsai? If so, why not chop (much) lower? Seems to me this trunk has only little to no taper or movement?
What is your plan?
Another Chop.... would like it to be Shohin-Double Trunk Formal Upright, ...
 

Bolero

Omono
Messages
1,199
Reaction score
1,201
Location
Plymouth, Michigan
Here's another JMAP that has been chopped a couple times over the years, trained as a Formal Upright but I cant get any additional Horizontal Branching...???
P8157938.JPG
 

leatherback

The Treedeemer
Messages
13,934
Reaction score
26,854
Location
Northern Germany
USDA Zone
7
Another Chop..
Ehm.. You have me confused. So why did you not chop lower from the getgo?

but I cant get any additional Horizontal Branching
Wire the branches horizontal.
If you mean, you do not get lower budding? Let it grow for the season. Lots of fertilizer and sun. Then heavy pruning n summer. Does the trick for me every time. Or you can just chop low in winter.
 

Bolero

Omono
Messages
1,199
Reaction score
1,201
Location
Plymouth, Michigan
A big knuckle joint of several thick branches where I chopped...
I will try wiring in a couple weeks...I want a little more growth...
 

BobbyLane

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,058
Reaction score
17,659
Location
London, England
to my eye the proportions just dont look right for either tree buddy. think more drastic work is needed.
with first one, maybe better off ground layering where the two trunks meet and training a twin trunk. then i think you will need some budding up n down the bare trunks.
 

Maloghurst

Chumono
Messages
750
Reaction score
1,096
Location
Seattle WA
USDA Zone
8b
Here's another JMAP that has been chopped a couple times over the years, trained as a Formal Upright but I cant get any additional Horizontal Branching...???
View attachment 257880
I know what your going through. The first trees I ever bought for bonsai was 2 coral bark maples. I made first chops to high and removed branches that I should have kept. I’m guessing your JM is one of your earlier trees?
I think I kept removing branches and it just stopped pushing them at those internodes. One I tried starting over and chopped low with a new leader about 3” from the soil. It died. It was weak. The second I’ve been trying to help it recover. It looks a lot like yours except I’ve been nurturing several branches coming from a lower spot halfway down the trunk.
I would not just do a low chop on the JM without letting it just grow unchecked for a couple seasons as I’m not sure it would survive.
The trident is more vigorous so that is up to you.
Here is mine. When I look at it out my window I just have to laugh. 29F30659-A88B-4ED0-814D-E1813603AD6B.jpeg893AE712-3F08-4C84-A0A8-6F0523C226C0.jpegB51E8E6E-1FC3-47C6-A1D9-9F0E58B835CC.jpeg
 

Shibui

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,545
Reaction score
15,206
Location
Yackandandah, Australia
USDA Zone
9?
Sorry to dampen your enthusiasm for the twin trunk trident. I can't see the space between the trunks well from that angle but I do not think this is suitable for twin trunk long term. As trunks thicken (and they do, even if it is slowly) the space between the trunks disappears so the fork effectively moves up the trunk. The narrower the space is, the quicker this happens and the further up the trunk the fork gets.
Have fun with this by all means if you wish but in 10 years, when you have spent lots of time and effort, this will probably not still be twin trunk.

I think the problem with budding on the Japanese maple is that you are too hesitant. Most trees try to bud close to the top of the trunk. If you cut high you get high buds and that appears to be the case with both these trees. If you really want buds further down the trunk you need to go for broke and cut low. It is esasier and faster to regrow a new trunk than to get low buds to sprout on a tall trunk.
The other option to get lower branches is to graft them. Approach graft or thrad grafts are reasonably simple and reliable and you can use long branches from the top of the same tree so the new branches will be the same as the rest of the tree.

At the moment, neither tree has much taper. Taper is important in bonsai - thick at the base and thinner near the top. Cutting low and regrowing the trunk will give you better taper. Cutting and regrowing several times over a number of years will give even better taper in the trunks.
 
Top Bottom