What should I do with this trident maple?

[Dingobattler]

Hello from Melbourne, I'm a beginner in bonsai, I've been reading heaps, and want to know what I should do with this trident maple I picked up. Done in a formal upright style. It seems to have great trunk diameter (about 5cm) and nebari with lots of root flare. Taper seems very nice, other than a slight bump in the middle. It's exactly the height I want it too, roughly 30cm.

Where it really lacks heavily is lower branches, which it completely lacks. From reading up, I've come up with 2 processes which I need to do. Just want some guidance.

1) Encourage it to back bud - I've just done heavy pruning to it (photo is post prune), as I heard the pruning, especially near the top will encourage back budding? Is this the way to do it? I've even removed a second trunk near the top, where it's hidden at the back.

2) repot into a training pot to encourage vigour to the lower branches, especially since the mid level branches are strong. Not sure if this is necessary?

Not sure if I need to do anything else. Appreciate everyone's guidance. Thanks!

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Branches thicken as they grow longer and accumulate foliage. It comes as a reaction to support more weight. By letting the lower branches grow out and restricting the top growth you will get thicker lower branches.
It is hard to see the core struxture of the tree. Can you take some more pictures?
Melbs weather is great for these so you should have something good in as little as 3 years if you play your cards right.
More pics please

 

[sorce]

Nice trunk!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Shibui]

Tridents are quite apical dominant so the top will grow better than lower. This means that while the top is growing lower buds will be very rare. You may get some after the pruning but I don't think it was hard enough to get new buds from the trunk. If you really want new buds lower you'll probably need to prune almost all actively growing shoots back to bare wood. Giving it a larger pot will not produce new buds but it could give the tree the vigour it needs to make new buds after hard pruning.

I think you have a couple of options with this trident:
1. Grow it as a tall, elegant tree with higher branches. In other words, use what you have. You must have seen something when you picked this tree so why now decide to change its style?
2. If you really want lower branches, graft some branches in places where you want them. Thread grafting is reasonably easy with tridents and works in most cases. New low branches can take some time to thicken while the top of the tree is active. You will need to control growth rigorously to get good results.
3. Sell it or give away and get something that suits the style of tree you want.

 

[TomB]

2. If you really want lower branches, graft some branches in places where you want them. Thread grafting is reasonably easy with tridents and works in most cases. New low branches can take some time to thicken while the top of the tree is active. You will need to control growth rigorously to get good results.

This was exactly what I was going to say.

 

[Dingobattler]

Tridents are quite apical dominant so the top will grow better than lower. This means that while the top is growing lower buds will be very rare. You may get some after the pruning but I don't think it was hard enough to get new buds from the trunk. If you really want new buds lower you'll probably need to prune almost all actively growing shoots back to bare wood. Giving it a larger pot will not produce new buds but it could give the tree the vigour it needs to make new buds after hard pruning.

I think you have a couple of options with this trident:
1. Grow it as a tall, elegant tree with higher branches. In other words, use what you have. You must have seen something when you picked this tree so why now decide to change its style?
2. If you really want lower branches, graft some branches in places where you want them. Thread grafting is reasonably easy with tridents and works in most cases. New low branches can take some time to thicken while the top of the tree is active. You will need to control growth rigorously to get good results.
3. Sell it or give away and get something that suits the style of tree you want.

Thanks for the detailed reply. This is exactly what I'm after. I choose the tree due to the trunk taper, trunk texture and trunk colour (its reddish brown, which I think is unique) I want to change as I find the long straight trunk pretty bare, and not sure where I read it (might even be here) but someone said that long straight sections are not ideal.

I think I just don't have enough inspiration for a tall elegant tree, as the typical impression of a bonsai is something very short and fat with a massive trunk.

I think I'll skip the grafting, as I don't want to damage the beautiful trunk, which was the thing that attracted me to it the most.

I might try to wire the lowest branches to create low hanging pads which will hopefully balance out the bare trunk.

Thanks all for your replies. Let me know how else I can improve the tree, or what is a good tall style bonsai. I've added more photos here.

 

[Woocash]

Depends how brave you’re willing to be. It doesn’t look like a typical nursery tree grown for bonsai, more a standard nursery tree that has been clipped to keep it compact. No movement has been introduced anywhere and you’ve got a few branches which would be a pig to get movement from now. If you want those low branches, more trunk movement and more of a “proper” bonsai starter, you’re going to have to prune hard - removing pretty much the whole apex IMO. Make sure you get confirmation from a seasoned pro first though! That’s just what I see as a fellow noob. Nice base and bark though mate.

 

[Silentrunning]

Please don’t go buggering up that trunk! Not all bonsai has to look like it was stepped on by a cow. You have the makings of a beautiful formal upright style tree. If it were mine, I would let it grow until the bottom branches are 1/3 of the way up the trunk. Then I would stop the upward growth and work on building a full, uniform canopy. The next time you repot it be sure it is perfectly vertical. With that bark, taper and nebari you will have a beautiful tree.

 

[bonsai45]

nebari with lots of root flare. Taper seems very nice

your taper starts about 1/3 up the trunk. The lowest third is a straight pole. You can begin correcting this by working the nebari of this tree to create some flare at the base of the trunk. I would repot this tree in a training box (when appropriate), to let the lateral roots to elongate and start creating that flare, just like the mirai trident in the attached photo

i like tall, lean, elegant trees - but this tree is lacking critical qualities for such a design - your trunk needs to radically improve (and it it unfortunately needs to put on mass to do so)

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Please don’t go buggering up that trunk! Not all bonsai has to look like it was stepped on by a cow. You have the makings of a beautiful formal upright style tree. If it were mine, I would let it grow until the bottom branches are 1/3 of the way up the trunk. Then I would stop the upward growth and work on building a full, uniform canopy. The next time you repot it be sure it is perfectly vertical. With that bark, taper and nebari you will have a beautiful tree.

I agree. Making realistic taper wiuld just end up ruining the tree. There are all bonsai, not everything has to be shohin.
Let it grow now and learn to water well

 

[Woocash]

Am I not right in thinking that some of the top branches in particular look pretty unsuitable at this stage though and need removing, bar the leader (if you’re growing it taller)? I do agree that a taller tree, showing off the trunk would be nice. Especially seeing as formal uprights are supposed to have straight trunks, are they not?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Maples in my local landscape tend to be tall vase shaped trees. Usually trunk divides into 2 sub trunks, then these rise up with gentle curves and so on, a nice vase shape or wine glass shape. I see this tree as tall and graceful. Agree with the other advice above.

 

[Dingobattler]

Thanks all. I'll leave the trunk alone for sure, as that's the reason I liked the tree in the first place. I'll work on the branches, and move it to a wider tray when I repot in winter.