I'm nervous, but excited!

[chuckyblack09]

I just purchased this trident maple. It will be my best tree yet. I'm super excited to get this and get it potted up. I don't have it yet, but I should get it next week. I have a 21" x 21" wooden box with holes and such that I made that I'll put it in. I'm just a little nervous about getting it back on it's feet and healthy. After that I'm confident about keeping it alive, just worried about the stress of it being shipped and getting it first potted.

I'm gonna use this as a thread for suggestions/advice/progress with this tree because I really don't wanna mess it up. I'm so excited!

My first question is, based on the photos so far, should I take anymore of that dirt out when I get it or just fill in bonsai soil around what is already there?

And then of course, thoughts on styling, the front, general advice, etc...

 

[River's Edge]

I would consult with the seller, have them describe the recent work completed and the condition you will receive the tree in. Then ask for their advice once received.
The appropriate work will depend on that information as well as the condition of the tree. You will need to rely on the sellers information.

When a trident is dug from the field, it usually involves a complete bare root as the starting point for development in a container. Still possible but may not be advisable depending on the time delay and circumstances between digging and your receiving the tree.

 

[dr.tenebris]

Oh that's lovely! I love the nebari on it!!

 

[leatherback]

-next to asking the seller what state it is in, which is a good recommendation- in my garden I want to know the rootball and the condition. So strong deciduous broadleave stock is pretty much as a standard bare-rooted in the first reasonable repotting window. As you are receiving it in time for a spring repot, I would remove as much of the organics as possible. This will ensure you will never have to do work this drastic again, and you start of with a good base. Only if the tree is known to be weak, and/or shows a lot of weak / dying branches do I deviate..

 

[Shibui]

I'm just a little nervous about getting it back on it's feet and healthy.

It's a trident maple. No need to be nervous. They can take a heap of abuse and still laugh at it. I routinely take of way more roots when transplanting tridents and they always survive. In most cases they are ready for more pruning or reduction later in summer.
Breathe deep and relax.

 

[rockm]

I'd take a garden hose to that root mass to wash off all the soil. That won't hurt a trident (or many other species for that matter). Getting rid of all the field soil is an important step in potting a tree like this up. Leaving soil complicates watering and can lead to some bad things. I'd also reduce the root mass by at least half of what is there, working underneath the tree in particular. Leaving dominant roots underneath the tree can slow down the surface roots that are developing. I would also sort through the surface roots (once you have blasted off the soil to see them) Remove or reduce a lot of the tangle sorting out roots as much as possible that grow back towards the trunk, upwards and those that cross one another.

A 21 inch pot is probably too large for this tree once the root mass is adequately reduced. A pot that is too large can slow down roots, as most of the soil in a container like that will remain soggy because roots aren't growing in it. Those wetter conditions can make roots hesitant to grow into them. I'd shoot to get the root mass reduced so this just fits into a 15" inch diameter growing container that's about 6 inches deep.

That sounds aggressive, but it's really not for a trident. They are resilient trees and can handle it.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Congrats on the pickup! Saw it on the auctions - good buy!

 

[BrightsideB]

Good looking material! Good luck!

 

[chuckyblack09]

Thanks everyone for the feedback and best wishes!

My local bonsai society is actually holding a repotting workshop next weekend so as long as I have the tree by then, I'm going to see if I can take it there and have experienced people help me with the process in person.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Seems like a great idea - I hope you have it by then. Would be perfect timing and hopefully will get it off to a good start for the growing season.

 

[chuckyblack09]

Update: Received the tree and someone from the local Bonsai Society is going to be helping me pot this up tomorrow in the wooden box in the pictures. The trunk is even better in person! I love it!

Anyway, what do you guys think of the leaves? They are wilted, but people say tridents are very vigorous. I'm just really nervous and don't want to lose this beauty. I don't know if this is something that it will bounce back from and it's something that happens during shipping, etc...

 

[River's Edge]

I would consult with the seller, have them describe the recent work completed and the condition you will receive the tree in. Then ask for their advice once received.
The appropriate work will depend on that information as well as the condition of the tree. You will need to rely on the sellers information.

Update: Received the tree and someone from the local Bonsai Society is going to be helping me pot this up tomorrow in the wooden box in the pictures. The trunk is even better in person! I love it!

Anyway, what do you guys think of the leaves? They are wilted, but people say tridents are very vigorous. I'm just really nervous and don't want to lose this beauty. I don't know if this is something that it will bounce back from and it's something that happens during shipping, etc...

Post #2 in this thread. The leaves could be wrinkled and looking " wilted" because they are just opening! or they could have dried out during shipping the past week. Here is where the seller and shipper is invaluable with their advice on the particular tree and its current condition.
One observation is that the tree has very few branches with buds or leaves. Are you in a much colder climate/location than the seller? What adjustment does the tree need to make?
If the seller advise the tree is very healthy than I would defoliate, bare root and repot as normal. If their is a big change of climate involved and the tree was chopped quite a while ago, then I would allow it to recover grow as many new buds and shoots as possible and repot at a later date after I was sure of the tree's condition. Cannot judge that from the photos, only that their is no evidence of vigour present at this time.

 

[chuckyblack09]

Post #2 in this thread. The leaves could be wrinkled and looking " wilted" because they are just opening! or they could have dried out during shipping the past week. Here is where the seller and shipper is invaluable with their advice on the particular tree and its current condition.
One observation is that the tree has very few branches with buds or leaves. Are you in a much colder climate/location than the seller? What adjustment does the tree need to make?
If the seller advise the tree is very healthy than I would defoliate, bare root and repot as normal. If their is a big change of climate involved and the tree was chopped quite a while ago, then I would allow it to recover grow as many new buds and shoots as possible and repot at a later date after I was sure of the tree's condition. Cannot judge that from the photos, only that their is no evidence of vigour present at this time.

The seller says the tree is healthy. The tree is coming from southern Georgia to southwestern Pennsylvania. The tree was dug on March 4th and then set back in the ground and covered with dirt until it was wrapped and shipped to me this Monday the 11th and I received today. I asked what the lowest temps the tree saw this winter were and seems pretty similar to the temps here.

 

[leatherback]

Nice tree. Much further into spring than my tridents (Repotting those is foreseen this weekend).

Your growboax seems to lack drainage holes. In general, a grow-box ideally has a mesh-bottom, or space between the bottom slats. That is the one big benefit of a goor grow-box, aeration & drainage.
e.g.,

Build instructions for a bonsai growbox - Growing Bonsai

A basic instruction to create a wooden growbox for bonsai It really is very easy to build a basic growbox for your trees. Besides some bits of wood, all you …

www.growingbonsai.net

 

[sorce]

I think you're right to be nervous.

It's 36F in Atlanta on Monday.
27F in Uniontown.

That's quite the 9degree shift through the freezing point.

Seems the leaves grew since digging.
Was it box growth?

Shipping is a compromise, an "insult".
You're going to Have to insult it again to get it through the freeze. Inside is an insult. Freeze is an insult.

They say one insult per season. They are saying this about a tree from the same place in the same year.



Sorce

 

[River's Edge]

The seller says the tree is healthy. The tree is coming from southern Georgia to southwestern Pennsylvania. The tree was dug on March 4th and then set back in the ground and covered with dirt until it was wrapped and shipped to me this Monday the 11th and I received today. I asked what the lowest temps the tree saw this winter were and seems pretty similar to the temps here.

In that case I would carefully wash and comb out the roots without a lot of root trimming. I would reduce very strong roots directed downward. Also the thicker nebari if too long. I would seal thicker cuts just as an extra precaution to limit risk of disease and additional transpiration loss. Arrange and repot in the grow box. Keep the tree in a shadier spot to begin with and keep the roots from freezing temperature. Water frequently to keep moist but not sitting in water. If needed drill some extra holes in the bottom of your grow box and add screening over the holes to prevent insect infiltration. Do not fertilize until signs of new growth are very evident and the tree is recovering nicely. I would not defoliate, allow the tree to decide, some leaves left will assist recovery if they survive. Typically trees that are dug are barefooted and repotted within a short period of time. The tree has come from as warmer average winter( faster spring) than your location. I assume your location still has a risk of frost.

 

[Don Blackmond]

You should consider planting it in the ground and growing it in the ground for a few years to develop the trunkline and taper and basic primary branching.
If you are deadset on putting it in a pot, then you need to remove the dirt from the roots, do some aggressive rootwork and put it in a suitable growing container with good quality bonsai soil.
Tridents are tough and can handle aggressive spring work, so don't be bashful.
You would be wise to put his tree in the ground instead of a pot. I know that is less exciting and not what you want to hear, but you will be years ahead if you do it.

 

[leatherback]

In that case I would carefully wash and comb out the roots without a lot of root trimming. I would reduce very strong roots directed downward. Also the thicker nebari if too long. I would seal thicker cuts just as an extra precaution to limit risk of disease and additional transpiration loss. Arrange and repot in the grow box. Keep the tree in a shadier spot to begin with and keep the roots from freezing temperature. Water frequently to keep moist but not sitting in water. If needed drill some extra holes in the bottom of your grow box and add screening over the holes to prevent insect infiltration. Do not fertilize until signs of new growth are very evident and the tree is recovering nicely. I would not defoliate, allow the tree to decide, some leaves left will assist recovery if they survive. Typically trees that are dug are barefooted and repotted within a short period of time. The tree has come from as warmer average winter( faster spring) than your location. I assume your location still has a risk of frost.

this!

 

[chuckyblack09]

Update:

We got the tree potted yesterday. Now I just need to protect it from some cold nights coming up.

I think eventually this will become a twin trunk, but as you can see we also decided to remove one of the splits on the main trunk to give it time to start healing over now as one of them was going to be removed eventually anyway.

 

[River's Edge]

Update:

We got the tree potted yesterday. Now I just need to protect it from some cold nights coming up.

I think eventually this will become a twin trunk, but as you can see we also decided to remove one of the splits on the main trunk to give it time to start healing over now as one of them was going to be removed eventually anyway.

If you can post a pictorial update in six to eight weeks, will be interested to see the new growth and bud break.