5 foot tall shohin Trident maple

[Stan Kengai]

If so, why and from what location?

I would grow out the first right branch. In the second picture above, you can see a little narrowing of the trunk below that branch. The goal would be to smooth that out and add a little more to that side of the trunk, which I think would give more overall taper. Right now, I'm thinking I'll wait a growing season and see if the previous sacrifice scar might fill that area in.

 

[Umbra]

Heavens, this tree is beautiful...

 

[Stan Kengai]

Late summer update: Over the summer, I did a couple of partial defoliations, removing the outer and larger leaves to keep the inner twigs and buds strong. In response, this thing really put on a canopy. I let the first right branch escape as previously discussed. I didn't let it get to 5 feet this time, only about 2 ft. I think the trunk is much improved, and I'll know for sure this winter.

Front

Side

Undercarriage

 

[Hyn Patty]

So many of you in North Georgia - makes me kind of sad to be leaving! Wish I had time to come around and visit, see your collections and chat about trees. But at least I'm relocating only about 35 miles north of the GA border. This one is a cutie.

 

[Stan Kengai]

Thanks @Hyn Patty . This one was chugging along nicely. But while on vacation last week, the person who was watering my plants let this one, and several others, dry out severly. I'm not sure if it will survive. I was literally sick to my stomach when I got home yesterday. Needless to say, an irrigation system is soon in the works.

 

[discusmike]

That sucks Stan,hope they pull thru

 

[Hyn Patty]

Thanks @Hyn Patty . This one was chugging along nicely. But while on vacation last week, the person who was watering my plants let this one, and several others, dry out severly. I'm not sure if it will survive. I was literally sick to my stomach when I got home yesterday. Needless to say, an irrigation system is soon in the works.

Oh no!!! I hope it'll be all right. Yes, a watering system sounds like a good idea to to me too. That has crossed my mind since my husband wants to do a lot more traveling. I sure hope that yours bounce back!

 

[Dav4]

Ugh, that's tough, Stan... fingers crossed for you.

 

[Stan Kengai]

So after a good soaking and rain the past 2 days, all of the leaves were still limp and gray. I removed about 2/3 of them and cut the new stems back to where they are still turgid. I'll keep it in a bright covered location so that the roots aren't inundated with water, and mist the top frequently. There are still stiff green stems, so there is hope it will recover. I'll just have to baby it until the roots have a chance ro regenerate.

 

[Stan Kengai]

This little fella recovered and is growing vigorously now. It did suffer some branch dieback, but not sure of the extent. I have already cut back some long runners, and it's growing more. I am contemplating defoliating later this month, but I'm pretty apprehensive after what it's been through.

 

[ConorDash]

This little fella recovered and is growing vigorously now. It did suffer some branch dieback, but not sure of the extent. I have already cut back some long runners, and it's growing more. I am contemplating defoliating later this month, but I'm pretty apprehensive after what it's been through.

Glad to read that!

I’d be so pissed off with whomever you left in charge.. the lack of respect for our trees that other people have, especially when they know how much they mean to us.

 

[queenofsheba52]

That's great news about the tree recovering!

 

[Stan Kengai]

This plant seems to have made a full recovery, health-wise. I removes the runners and the large leaves, which amounted to about 1/3 of the foliage mass. We'll see what the branch damage is this winter.
Before

After

 

[Bananaman]

I’m down to one of the three little pigs. Glad to see this back with green on top. Great trunk and gnarly movement. What’s the plan for canopy structure?

 

[Stan Kengai]

I’m down to one of the three little pigs. Glad to see this back with green on top. Great trunk and gnarly movement. What’s the plan for canopy structure?

Thanks, Al. This year was going to be the first season of branch selection and refinement and apex development. The spring setback changed my plans for me. I am sure that it will be ready to get several defoliations next year. This fall, we'll see the state of the branches.

The canopy has a lower right branch, a higher left key branch, and the apex. I hope to develop those three major pads with smaller sub-pads in the lower branch and apex. Should be a tall task for a tree this size, but it gives me something to aim for.

 

[Stan Kengai]

2019 end of season update. After last year's vacation watering fiasco, I lost a couple branches on the upper left and a lot of the fine surface roots. This year it seemed to slow down a bit and put on some finer growth, but I let it bulk up a little to much in the apex.

I wanted to trim now, but there is a lot of chunky growth that needs to come off. So I will wait until late spring or early summer to defoliate and clean it up, depending on its response to its first bonsai pot in a while.

 

[Smoke]

Pretty cool. Keep it back, you'll be rewarded...

 

[Adair M]

Please ignore. Inadvertent post.