My first trident maple

[eugenev2]

16 August 2023
Trunk chop completed with a possible repotting/ground growing coming soon

 

[Cajunrider]

Welcome. My first trees were purchased with the same sentiment in mind. After spending some time with these trees, I have come to the same conclusion that Shibui advised you of - what you gain in time savings from a thicker trunk is lost in reworking the trunk and nebari. I'm always on the look out for a larger trunk, but nowadays I will also require some lower movement at the very least so that time is actually saved.

Rather than focus too much on the nurseries and big box stores, there are vendors (at least state side) that sell ground grown trees with larger trunks that have been growing with bonsai in mind.

The story is the same in many aspects. After selling a few BCs, I found that people compare my trees with those from nurseries and big box stores. They don't get that I went through a selection process in the swamp, take the trees, prune and arrange the roots for optimum nebari. Nurseries trees likely will take more time to develop than mine. Though I will not be selling trees much longer, this whole experience has taught me much. I now see the values in the trees sold by other vendors as well and am able to discern the quality vendors from the scammers.

 

[eugenev2]

The story is the same in many aspects. After selling a few BCs, I found that people compare my trees with those from nurseries and big box stores. They don't get that I went through a selection process in the swamp, take the trees, prune and arrange the roots for optimum nebari. Nurseries trees likely will take more time to develop than mine. Though I will not be selling trees much longer, this whole experience has taught me much. I now see the values in the trees sold by other vendors as well and am able to discern the quality vendors from the scammers.

100% learning more and more how to appreciate the amount of work people put into their trees, also very sad to see what some trees go for locally because someone had to put their blood sweat and tears into it for years and years and barely getting a days wage out of it. I've quickly learned that this tree might not progress much further as a bonsai as people on this thread indicated might be the case. But this tree taught me a lot already and has possibly provided me with a air layering that might serve me better in the future. Regardless, this tree will serve many purposes, if my other experiments fail, i could always just plant it in the ground for a closer supply of trident maple seeds

 

[eugenev2]

29 August 2023
The trident maple that i think has the most potential to become a bonsai was repotted today. Placed in a better mix...but not yet APL...to hopefully encourage improved root growth.

 

[eugenev2]

Trident maples are amazing. This tree has taken beating after beating with all my experiments. This is the same tree as in first picture. I did a trunk chop in winter as it grew a competing trunk in the last year of growth which was just too straight for my liking...and no pictures. I also did some massive root work on this, i think even some of the pros would be proud or possibly terrified, did roughly a 90 to 95% root reduction. But forgot to take pictures as well. Probably to early to say this one is pulling through, but there is some green tips

 

[SeanS]

A money saving tip. Don’t wast your putty cut paste on the ends of chops/initial cuts. Rather use a paste type sealer (Top jin, callous mate, Kiyonal). Save the putty for when you make the refined cuts that you actually want to heal over as the final wound

 

[eugenev2]

A money saving tip. Don’t wast your putty cut paste on the ends of chops/initial cuts. Rather use a paste type sealer (Top jin, callous mate, Kiyonal). Save the putty for when you make the refined cuts that you actually want to heal over as the final wound

View attachment 565174

Thanks i will keep that tip in mind, although i got one of these for sealing severe wire bites with the idea to eventually use it for grafting...but accidently squirted almost half the bottle out on the first trial use

 

[SeanS]

Liquid sealers aren’t great for grafting, it can enter the graft site and possibly interfere with the graft fusing. Use a putty sealer for grafts.

I use Top Jin as my general purpose sealer on almost everything, and callous mate for species that have a hard time healing or severe scars/breaks

I highly recommend Top Jin

Top Jin M Paste, 200g

Protect your plants with Top Jin M Paste, a high-quality sealing solution from Japan, promoting fast healing and preventing infections.

www.bonsaitree.co.za

Karusumeito sealer, 150g

Keep your bonsai healthy with Karusumeito Sealer 150g, promoting fast healing and protecting against infection.

www.bonsaitree.co.za

 

[eugenev2]

Liquid sealers aren’t great for grafting, it can enter the graft site and possibly interfere with the graft fusing. Use a putty sealer for grafts.

I use Top Jin as my general purpose sealer on almost everything, and callous mate for species that have a hard time healing or severe scars/breaks

I highly recommend Top Jin

Top Jin M Paste, 200g

Protect your plants with Top Jin M Paste, a high-quality sealing solution from Japan, promoting fast healing and preventing infections.

www.bonsaitree.co.za

Karusumeito sealer, 150g

Keep your bonsai healthy with Karusumeito Sealer 150g, promoting fast healing and protecting against infection.

www.bonsaitree.co.za

Awesome, thanks man

 

[eugenev2]

So this trident i've decided that the trunk doesn't need to thicken up much, so i want to start focusing on primary branches and structure the next year or 2. Then i'll have a look at the roots again, although they weren't anything special. So any opinions possible design changes, be my guest, looking for ideas on how to proceed. When i potted it up last year, i decided to place it like this, slanted for a possible wind swept design. And if you don't like it, what would you start to change?

 

[SeanS]

So this trident i've decided that the trunk doesn't need to thicken up much, so i want to start focusing on primary branches and structure the next year or 2. Then i'll have a look at the roots again, although they weren't anything special. So any opinions possible design changes, be my guest, looking for ideas on how to proceed. When i potted it up last year, i decided to place it like this, slanted for a possible wind swept design. And if you don't like it, what would you start to change?

These would be my 2 possible options. I wouldn't style it as a windswept tree, tridents don't usually grow in very windy areas. How about a twin trunk with movement flowing to the left instead, like it's growing out over a river or from some sort of elevated outcrop?

 

[eugenev2]

These would be my 2 possible options. I wouldn't style it as a windswept tree, tridents don't usually grow in very windy areas. How about a twin trunk with movement flowing to the left instead, like it's growing out over a river or from some sort of elevated outcrop?

View attachment 567429View attachment 567430View attachment 567431

I kind of like this, definitely a good option. But you mentioned two options?
Although i may have jumped the gun on the "finished" with the trunk part...i was staring at the tree this weekend and realized those two trunks don't have much in the way of taper...so I will have to address that, but this suggestions could work with that as well

 

[SeanS]

I kind of like this, definitely a good option. But you mentioned two options?
Although i may have jumped the gun on the "finished" with the trunk part...i was staring at the tree this weekend and realized those two trunks don't have much in the way of taper...so I will have to address that, but this suggestions could work with that as well

2 options for where to cut the left/main trunk, look closely at the photos