Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
- Messages
- 13,395
- Reaction score
- 31,674
- USDA Zone
- 6a
I'd wait until your buds turn into fully formed leaves before applying any ferts.
Knobby Trident
- Thread starter Grant Hamby
- Start date
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- Tags
- maple trident trident maple
Grant Hamby
Shohin
Cool! I'm assuming a fairly balanced ratio will be suitable for this stage of development?
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Hi Grant. For trees in development, I start fertilizing as soon as the buds begin to move. For more developed trees, I wait until the first flush has hardened off before I fertilize.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Sorce
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
- Messages
- 13,395
- Reaction score
- 31,674
- USDA Zone
- 6a
Yes. I use plantone as an organic placed on the soil surface in pvc rings or in tea bags, and I apply miracle gro or peters liquid and fish emulsion. I use the same ferts all season long as I believe the tree takes what it needs when it needs it and leaves the rest to be flushed from the soil.
Grant Hamby
Shohin
Just a quick update. Chuggin right along. I sprinkled some Dr. Earth Life Pellets on the surface a while back, they're an organic 5-5-5 fert. I had heard about Jonas using them, so I figured it wouldn't hurt.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
How about water!?
It looks right droopy!
Is it windy as hell down there too today?
Sorce
It looks right droopy!
Is it windy as hell down there too today?
Sorce
Grant Hamby
Shohin
It's been a really calm day here! The leaves have looked droopy since they popped, but I've kept it watered pretty heavily. Also, this was my very first trident, so I have no experience with the fresh leaves. You guys gotta tell me if they look sad!
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Completely normal. Japanese maples are the same. They look all droopy when leaves first come out. I never like that stage for that reason. Be careful with over watering your tree specially in cool spring weather.
Grant Hamby
Shohin
Good to know! I've been letting the soil almost nearly dry, but when I water, I give it a good drink, haha. I assumed it would dry a little quicker in the Anderson flat sitting on top of two 4x4's.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Thanks Mach!
Now that that's cleared up....
Nice!
That's alotta growth!
Sorce
Now that that's cleared up....
Nice!
That's alotta growth!
Sorce
Grant Hamby
Shohin
I think it's liking the new soil.
Looking good. It is a great looking little tree, really like its trunk movement and skinny waist.
I need to get some of those anderson flats.. I've been pointed towards them quite a bit but im in UK and they ship to here.
It was good to know the first leaves look droopy to begin with and thats normal. I wasn't sure about that.
I do know that you should be careful waiting for it to dry before watering. Maples don't like dry.
I looked it up recently as some trees prefer to be moist for longer, or never touch any dryness or never too wet, etc etc. Maples have a preference of not wanting to touch any dryness. As far as I am told.
Im sure someone here can correct me if wrong though.
Although I believe most trees don't like touching any dryness.
I need to get some of those anderson flats.. I've been pointed towards them quite a bit but im in UK and they ship to here.
It was good to know the first leaves look droopy to begin with and thats normal. I wasn't sure about that.
I do know that you should be careful waiting for it to dry before watering. Maples don't like dry.
I looked it up recently as some trees prefer to be moist for longer, or never touch any dryness or never too wet, etc etc. Maples have a preference of not wanting to touch any dryness. As far as I am told.
Im sure someone here can correct me if wrong though.
Although I believe most trees don't like touching any dryness.
Grant Hamby
Shohin
I'd say you're right. I try to be careful not to let the soil completely dry. I always just assume that even though the top layer is dry, there's some moisture down deeper, especially in the large flats. Plus, our climate is very humid, so the deeper soil stays damp quite a while. And if the top layer is still wet, I don't water it at all.
It's all a balancing act, I suppose. I just try to read the tree. There's a great article on Bonsai Tonight about evaluating a bonsai's water needs.
Sure yeah, sounds right.
Im using 100% inorganic at the moment so its very obvious when it dries but of course, the top dries out first then the inside. I dig a finger in to see and feel moisture, gives me the best idea of watering needs.
Although of course with my mix, I can water it every day and it wouldn't be over watering.
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Looks good Grant. If you haven't done so yet, go ahead and fertilize. I use a combination of solid cake fertilizer on the soil surface as well as liquid once a week. Don't pinch the growing tips or prune at this stage - just let it grow and get strong until the spring shoots hardens off. Before they fully lignifies we'll thin and wire and cut back where appropriate. The tree will respond by sending out another cycle of growth. We can repeat this several times during the growing season. Mine are a few weeks ahead of yours in growth so I'll try and document some spring work on Tridents for you when the time is right.
Grant Hamby
Shohin
Thanks! That would be great. I look forward to seeing your updates!
Grant Hamby
Shohin
I started digging around in the leaves today and noticed my wires were starting to bite in, so I pulled them off. I didn't even try to put new wires on, I can barely see the branches because the leaves are so thick. Especially at the apex, there are a ton of small leaves that look a little underdeveloped. It'll definitely need a cutback before I attempt another wiring job, lol.
Uh, no cut back before wiring. Maybe some thing like removing downward growing shoots!
Maybe removing some leaves, or cutting leaves in half.
You wire with the leaves still on! Yeah, I know, it's a pain. No one ever said bonsai was easy!
Maybe removing some leaves, or cutting leaves in half.
You wire with the leaves still on! Yeah, I know, it's a pain. No one ever said bonsai was easy!
Grant Hamby
Shohin
Fiiiiiine, lol... I do remember you talking about wiring the green shoots, then cutting back, multiple times in a season.
Speaking of cutting back, are there any rules of thumb on when to cut back? Number of leaf pairs or length of shoot? I plan on letting the first branch go for a while, but I figure I'll cut back the apex for taper & ramification.
