Collecting a large trident near Miami
- Thread starter Jmontee
- Start date
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Much better with the roots covered deeper.
Your plan looks like what I would probably do but that chop will leave a huge scar. Likely to take many years to heal - if it ever does - but I don't see many other options here.
Tridents can recover very quick after major root surgery. Occasionally they've grown well enough to make more reduction in the same year but it is probably worth waiting till next year before making any more large chops. Florida climate may change how this one responds after transplant.
Your plan looks like what I would probably do but that chop will leave a huge scar. Likely to take many years to heal - if it ever does - but I don't see many other options here.
Tridents can recover very quick after major root surgery. Occasionally they've grown well enough to make more reduction in the same year but it is probably worth waiting till next year before making any more large chops. Florida climate may change how this one responds after transplant.
Thank you for the help and yes, it would leave a very large scar. On the other hand, the really large chop that already exists is on the opposite side of what I am thinking about doing so the new chop would just take the place of that one.
This plan also takes care of the reverse taper at that existing chop site. Hopefully this tree retains it's current vigor once it recovers cause the chops were made about 5 weeks ago and they are all starting to roll already.
Gustavo Martins
Omono
You can use the scar to carve if you have an artistic vein
Crazy Diamond
Omono
So a quick update and a question. The tree is really popping now with buds all over the trunk and several extending nicely! The leaves are really well lobed unlike some other tridents I have seen.
My question is, how much longer should I leave it covered and away from wind?
My question is, how much longer should I leave it covered and away from wind?
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
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I would’ve put it on my bench right after digging it up. Tridents love sun so I wouldn’t think about protection from the sun until later this spring.
Zerobear
Yamadori
The day will come when that will be a superb tree. Someone said to add spangum moss to the top surface and I agree with that opinion
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Me too. I doubt that anywhere in Florida will be cold enough for a trident to require any additional protection.
Leaves that have opened in shaded conditions may burn easily when exposed to more sun so I prefer to allow shoots to grow where they will stay rather than moving from protection to sun and back..
This seems to be a matter of juvenile V mature leaf shape. Older, landscape trees seem to develop more spade shaped leaf while young trees have distinctly 3 lobed leaf. Most bonsai seem to retain the 3 lobe leaf because we continue to prune and encourage new, younger shoots.
I moved it out and can confirm that some of the original leaves have definitely darkened more than I would have expected. I had read that it should be protected but I thought that was about too much sun and not about the cold. It's still growing well though so hopefully will not lose too many leaves.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
I find the same applies to sun. Trees here don't have to cope with cold but, like there, sun and heat are more likely to cause problems. Deciduous trees only open leaves when they have recovered enough. If water or other resources are limited they grow slower and produce less leaves until the roots can support more so they tend to be self regulating for sun.
All my transplants go straight to the benches in full sun to recover and I have no problems.
After about a month in the pot there are already some really nice roots spreading through the pot. I have also been doing some searching as to future planning for this tree (I know that this is many years down the road) and I found these pictures. I believe that if I go with my plan of removing the large trunk in the middle and moving forward with the two trunks/main branches it could become something like this.
My question right now is, do I need to be doing anything as far as initial shaping of the current shoots or just let them grow straight?
Thank you for any help!
My question right now is, do I need to be doing anything as far as initial shaping of the current shoots or just let them grow straight?
Thank you for any help!
Cmd5235
Chumono
This is going to be so dope in a few years
About 2 and half months later and this tree is huge!! I have just let it grow out wild to ensure that I get good roots after cutting the roots down to basically nothing back in March. The tallest trunk is about 7ft tall now!! Here are a few pictures and an edit showing what I believe will be the two leaders when I do another major chop next March (or should I do it some time this year?) Any advice on next steps would be greatly appreciated as this is my first maple/deciduous tree ever.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Don't be in to much of a hurry with this tree. It has already rewarded you by recovering from a traumatic transplant. Now needs a year at least to recuperate before your next insult.
Those new branches also need much longer to begin to thicken to match the lower trunk. I've often left new leaders on stumps for 2-3 years, sometimes longer until they are starting to approach similar thickness to the base before the next chop. The bigger the stump the longer (years, not months) it will take to get new leaders to match. After each chop the intervals get less and less as the trunks develop taper.
Those same chops will usually also give your emerging trunks the movement you want much more naturally than wired bends.
Those new branches also need much longer to begin to thicken to match the lower trunk. I've often left new leaders on stumps for 2-3 years, sometimes longer until they are starting to approach similar thickness to the base before the next chop. The bigger the stump the longer (years, not months) it will take to get new leaders to match. After each chop the intervals get less and less as the trunks develop taper.
Those same chops will usually also give your emerging trunks the movement you want much more naturally than wired bends.
Thank you, this definitely makes sense. Do you think I should remove a few of those extending branches so that the growth can be more focused on the eventual trunks that I am keeping?
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
No. Let em go. Your focus should be on recovery at this point, not design. Tridents are extremely vigorous and there will be more than enough time and options with this tree down the road. Additionally, I wouldn't be planning secondary branches and detailed work. I wouldn't even be choosing primary branching at this point, just on healing big chop scars and root mass recovery. Choosing branches and wiring them at this point is counterproductive, as most likely they will all become obsolete in the future (and possibly odd-looking, wiring rarely produces decent looking branching on deciduous trees.). You should be looking to create a tapered trunk to begin developing branches on later, starting the branch scaffolding from scratch in five years or so...My two cents worth...
