Extra Large Trident.... Something or other.

[Katie0317]

Really beautiful! Did you happen to photograph it before you dug it out? You said it was field grown? Was it grown in Ga by the same people who field grow a lot of different types of trees for bonsai? I know a lot of people on BN go there. What a difference just a year made.

Shibui is a great source for knowledge on Trident Maples.

 

[dlayton]

Pretty cool project and very promising clump. Does the slab have drainage?

It had some unevenness on the surface, cracks and suck, but no.
You can tell from the photos but I set the rock at a slight right and back tilt. Drains perfectly so far

 

[dlayton]

Really beautiful! Did you happen to photograph it before you dug it out? You said it was field grown? Was it grown in Ga by the same people who field grow a lot of different types of trees for bonsai? I know a lot of people on BN go there. What a difference just a year made.

Shibui is a great source for knowledge on Trident Maples.

Yes. Mr. Dave. The legend.
No. I got quite a few that day and Im still developing my photographer skills!

 

[JudyB]

This is awesome, and the slab planting really suits it well. I will be interested to see if you have any trouble keeping it wet enough, but tridents are better at being dry than J Maple, and I don't know your climate... Great job and keep us updated please!

 

[dlayton]

This is awesome, and the slab planting really suits it well. I will be interested to see if you have any trouble keeping it wet enough, but tridents are better at being dry than J Maple, and I don't know your climate... Great job and keep us updated please!

We’ll Georgia here. So hot! I have been trying to keep the live moss intact to help with the dryness but im having to mist it everyday. Do you think a heavy covering of spaghnum would help?

I also went with a thicker rock to try and help with that as well. I may end up having to move it to a more shady location but my fork lift is in the shop at the moment!

 

[dlayton]

What are y’all’s thoughts on this?

Design it as one tree with one apex? Or like a forest with each tree being treated individually?

I like the one tree idea because I’m not sure the trunks will taper correctly if designed as forest?

Design thoughts?

 

[clem]

hello ! if you keep one apex above the others, which one would you keep ? a virtual maybe ?

ps : be carefull with the pure keto : if you let it dry out a little, it will make cracks and the keto wall will not be able to retain water anymore because as soon as it is dry and cracked it is irréversible (even with water). it is what i experienced a few years ago with a pure keto wall. It needs to be kept always wet to prevent cracks.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Here is a large group from the collection at Smith Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw, GA, maybe some inspiration

 

[dlayton]

Hack do you have any pics of that in winter?

 

[Maiden69]

This is awesome, and the slab planting really suits it well. I will be interested to see if you have any trouble keeping it wet enough, but tridents are better at being dry than J Maple, and I don't know your climate... Great job and keep us updated please!

Awesome job @dlayton , I don't know if you have a Mirai membership, Ryan went over slab planting repot and he did mentioned the two trees that Judy mentioned above as trees he would never plant on a slab. Rationing was because they would need more water retention. Now the way Ryan does the walls is completely different than the muck approach, so I think you should be fine with your set up. Ryan used just wet long fiber white sphagnum moss with akadama imbedded on it as a "wall" in order to maintain the akadama in. This would definitely drain and allow air faster than a muck wall all around the perimeter of the tree.

Closeup of the sphagnum/akadama layer rolled over the edge of the soil mass.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Hack do you have any pics of that in winter?

I do not but they've got another large group of trident as well, I'd recommend a visit

 

[dlayton]

I do not but they've got another large group of trident as well, I'd recommend a visit

Thank you! Not too far from me either!

 

[dlayton]

Awesome job @dlayton , I don't know if you have a Mirai membership, Ryan went over slab planting repot and he did mentioned the two trees that Judy mentioned above as trees he would never plant on a slab. Rationing was because they would need more water retention. Now the way Ryan does the walls is completely different than the muck approach, so I think you should be fine with your set up. Ryan used just wet long fiber white sphagnum moss with akadama imbedded on it as a "wall" in order to maintain the akadama in. This would definitely drain and allow air faster than a muck wall all around the perimeter of the tree.

Closeup of the sphagnum/akadama layer rolled over the edge of the soil mass.

View attachment 478215

Interesting. Is there a YouTube video of this or more information?

 

[Maiden69]

Interesting. Is there a YouTube video of this or more information?

Unfortunately not, they just posted it to the Mirai Live website 2 days ago. You could do a 7 day free trial? If you close it before the 7th day they won't charge you. It's a 2hr long video of a "repot" on a slab planted spruce that's been on the slab for 5 years. The slab is a Jan Culek.

 

[dlayton]

Pretty cool project and very promising clump. Does the slab have drainage?

Sorry! I missed this. I used a heavy lava base from home depot and I tilted the rock just a hair to the right. It drains really well as far as I can tell!

 

[dlayton]

Let it run all last year for the most part. Heavy cut back this winter, forgot to take a pic, except for the tops. Going to let it run again this year working on apex taper!

Haven’t made my mind up as to how far I want to let the worth go. Do I want tall and wide but thinner or shorter and more compact. Any thoughts?

It is doing quite well on the rock.

 

[Dav4]

Here is a large group from the collection at Smith Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw, GA, maybe some inspiration
View attachment 478214

These pictures are about 10 years old when I volunteered at the S.G. Gardens.


The second picture, if I recall correctly, is after I spent a while Saturday morning thinning the canopy.

 

[dlayton]

Holy cow @Dav4 im not sure she’s got that kind of potential, especially not in my hands!

But that is awesome. I think this one may have too many trunks to get that “view” but time will tell.

Thanks for those pics!

These pictures are about 10 years old when I volunteered at the S.G. Gardens.
View attachment 537800
View attachment 537801
The second picture, if I recall correctly, is after I spent a while Saturday morning thinning the canopy.

 

[dlayton]

Unfortunately not, they just posted it to the Mirai Live website 2 days ago. You could do a 7 day free trial? If you close it before the 7th day they won't charge you. It's a 2hr long video of a "repot" on a slab planted spruce that's been on the slab for 5 years. The slab is a Jan Culek.

View attachment 478232

So water issues weren’t a problem last year. I mixed spaghum with the muck. But it has dried out and almost hardened like a pot.

I’m beginning to think I’m going to maybe try and find a pot for it, or at least a more manageable slab.
But I’m going to wait a couple more years until I need a repot. The current set up is working perfectly though because the roots are basically pruning themselves as they grow through the muck. Should make for an interesting nebari once I uncover it some more!