HoneyHornet
Shohin
When do you think it will root over the washer?
Sean’s Trident Projects
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SeanS
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Some fertilizer and other soil gunk has accumulated around the base of the clump over the washer and some roots have already started to grow. From what I’ve seen if you’ve applied some sort of tourniquet and there’s swelling present roots will start to grow almost immediately when there’s damp soil around the built up callous due to the highly concentrated hormone levels in that area.
I should probably clear the gunk away and add a thin layer of proper soil so the roots can start forming properly.
HoneyHornet
Shohin
Oh cool, what do you consider proper soil for that result? I’m trying to expand some of my techniques and seeing this makes me wanna try that
badatusernames
Omono
Just posting to say I love this thread!
SeanS
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Generally whatever soil I’m using in the rest of the pot, or a similar soil. I’m using crushed LECA and coco coir to grow this batch of trident seedlings, however I’ll probably use some fine grained akadama around the top of the washer as I have some left over from sifting and I think it will work well for this purpose.
HoneyHornet
Shohin
Ahhh so you crush your leca, u like how it acts? I’ve seen it in hydro section and considered it but never grabbed a bag
SeanS
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Well I don’t crush it myself, I buy it crushed. Hydro stores here in South Africa sell it crushed or whole, although the crushed is very varied in its particle size so you end up sifting out a lot of fines and overly large pieces.
I also get it crushed from a local bonsai online store. The quality and sizing is great so I use it for majority of my plants that I’m still developing. It’s cheap and works well enough in my opinion.
I even have my JBPs in 1:1 Akadama:crushed Leca and they seem to be thriving
SeanS
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Quick update on one of my largest ROR projects and strongest seedlings. This seedling is nearing the end of its 2nd season of life and has increased in thickness around 5 or 6 times what it was in August last year (spring down here)!
I grew this guy from seed germinated in 2020.
Some pics are screenshots from a video so aren’t the best quality.
I’ve wired 2 shoots further up the trunk back down towards the base for grafting next spring. I’ll be building the entire trunk line and first branch from the grafts that will be positioned right above the roots. The current stove pipe trunk is purely to thicken the roots.
I grew this guy from seed germinated in 2020.
Some pics are screenshots from a video so aren’t the best quality.
I’ve wired 2 shoots further up the trunk back down towards the base for grafting next spring. I’ll be building the entire trunk line and first branch from the grafts that will be positioned right above the roots. The current stove pipe trunk is purely to thicken the roots.
SeanS
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Another ROR update. This seedling is also only 2 years old from the same batch as the one above.
11 August last year, 7 months of growing
11 August last year, 7 months of growing
birchman
Sapling
mate, they must like the southern hemisphere. I have a couple nearly as thick from my 2020 seedlings. But the majority are less than half that thickness.
SeanS
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I only started about 20 from seed (collected a whole bunch more) and I’d say about a third of them are this thick or thereabout. The ones strapped to rocks in my grow bed are the clear over achievers. The others in pots are still pretty decent for 2 growing seasons. I feed all of them aggressively and they get pretty decent sun.
This winter I’ll be building another 2 grow beds and putting a few more of them in there to bulk up.
SeanS
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Update on "Project Save-a-Trident", my trident stump that refused to bud out after being cut back mid-summer last season. I've documented it's progress in earlier posts, basically I grafted 3 seedlings to it in spring (August 2021) in the hopes that it would keep the base alive. It is very much still alive, and very ugly! This coming winter I'll dig it up and figure out a plan for it. It has a massive nebari under the soil, but working on the top will be a fun challenge 
Here it is last August (8 months ago)
And an update on the 10 seedlings I threaded though a metal plate. They're also growing really well and have all produced loads of roots above the plate. Next spring I'll check on the roots properly, another few seasons and they should start fusing. I plan on creating a tree with a massive nebari and single thin, tall trunk.
Here are both projects in one of my grow beds
Here it is last August (8 months ago)
And an update on the 10 seedlings I threaded though a metal plate. They're also growing really well and have all produced loads of roots above the plate. Next spring I'll check on the roots properly, another few seasons and they should start fusing. I plan on creating a tree with a massive nebari and single thin, tall trunk.
Here are both projects in one of my grow beds
SeanS
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I haven’t updated my thread in a while, it’s mid winter here and I’m slowly making my way through winter work and will soon be ramping up for spring.
Today I checked on the progress of this little trident washer-layer experiment. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves
In spring I’ll cut off the trunk below the washer and give the new roots a trim. I’d say this worked out pretty well!
I’ve covered the root up again for the remainder of winter
SeanS
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With spring fast approaching I’ve started prepping my new raised beds and cleaning up my old one. Yesterday I dug up some of my trident projects so I could fill the old bed with fresh soil.
Sorry about the poor quality photos, these are screenshots from my Instagram story. To see these little trees in motion here’s the IG link: Tridents
I’ll be grafting most of these in spring with shoots from themselves or seedlings to start building the actual trunklines. The straight trunks will mostly be cut off. I’ll be grafting right above where the roots split from the current trunks on many of them.
ROR 1
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Sorry about the poor quality photos, these are screenshots from my Instagram story. To see these little trees in motion here’s the IG link: Tridents
I’ll be grafting most of these in spring with shoots from themselves or seedlings to start building the actual trunklines. The straight trunks will mostly be cut off. I’ll be grafting right above where the roots split from the current trunks on many of them.
ROR 1
2
3
4
5
SeanS
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Some more
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7
8
“Project Nebari”
Not sure what kind of tree I’ll eventually build from this, but it will have a pretty impressive nebari.
August 2021
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8
“Project Nebari”
Not sure what kind of tree I’ll eventually build from this, but it will have a pretty impressive nebari.
August 2021
badatusernames
Omono
Looking good! I found a couple of rocks that will work for next year so I'll get started soon enough. I'd love to get a metal plate like you have as well!
SeanS
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2022 update of Operation Save-a-Trident, the large stump that refused to bud out after being chopped. You can find earlier progress updates in this thread.
It grew really well last season considering I Frankensteined the hell out of it! Yesterday I gave it its spring makeover before planting it back in one of my grow beds
Before work
After. I worked the large dead stump down in the middle of the trunk, grafted two future branches and worked the roots.
I’d like to create a short powerful tree eventually. The 2 seedling trunks that had the grafts applied to will eventually be cut off once the grafts take and some healing of the main chop has taken place. The seedling trunk to the right of the main trunk will be used to build the future bonsai trunk, probably by grafting through it next season.
What it looked like 12 months ago
It grew really well last season considering I Frankensteined the hell out of it! Yesterday I gave it its spring makeover before planting it back in one of my grow beds
Before work
After. I worked the large dead stump down in the middle of the trunk, grafted two future branches and worked the roots.
I’d like to create a short powerful tree eventually. The 2 seedling trunks that had the grafts applied to will eventually be cut off once the grafts take and some healing of the main chop has taken place. The seedling trunk to the right of the main trunk will be used to build the future bonsai trunk, probably by grafting through it next season.
What it looked like 12 months ago
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
Very good save on this one. I think it has some good potential as a sumo shohin.
SeanS
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Don’t let the photos fool you, it’s pretty big! Definitely more chuhin size once I’ve grown the rest of the trunk.
It’s never going to win any beauty pageants but I should be able to make something decent out of it
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
The pics had me thinking it was smaller. Still a cool project to play with nonetheless.
