Trident Maple thoughts

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

Hi all,

This spring I had the opportunity to dig up another few trees. A friend of mine is growing many in the ground for bonsai purposes.

This Trident maple was grown and cut for 12 years from seed.
The diameter of the trunk is 11 cm/4,33 inches.
After collecting I have planted it in a training pot to grow more feeder roots and to recover for at least one year.
Strong spring growth.

I am happy with the lower part of the trunk and its thickness. After that it becomes messy and ugly to say the least.

What would you think is the best place to make make the Great Cut and develop from there? Or any other input for its future life
Some pictures below. First two would be my own thoughts..

Thanks for your time!

Jasper

 

[Cadillactaste]

How about... a cascade?An air layer...

 

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

It past my mind as well. But I like the base of the tree to build a future bonsai.

 

[leatherback]

I think the trunk you have here is pretty good. So maybe you can explain what you think it messy.
Also, if he has clip-and-grown this for a decade and you do not like the trunkline.. Why did you get this?

Frankly, it does not make sense to cut this far down on a trunk grown out for bonsai. Then you had better gotten a stovepipe.

 

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

It is the part in the picture below what keeps catching my eye.
The rest I do like.

I collected a few more trees from him. He had only one Trident maple in the ground.
To much trees for him to attend to.

Otherwise it would end up in the shredder. So it actually makes a lot sense to me that I took it.

And that is why I was wondering if it would be a good idea to cut somewhere below the bulvous/inverse taper part and if could improve the aesthetics.

 

[Cadillactaste]

It past my mind as well. But I like the base of the tree to build a future bonsai.

Fair enough.

I saw you mentioned inverse taper. Its not overly pronounced. It's something that was even seen on trees in the Kokufu show. It happens. My eyes aren't drawn to it.

Often times a bend/movement in the trunk will appear giving the illusion of such things. But... I would take movement to a stovepipe trunk all day long.

 

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

But... I would take movement to a stovepipe trunk all day long.

True. Thanks for the feedback

 

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

I saw you mentioned inverse taper. Its not overly pronounced. It's something that was even seen on trees in the Kokufu show. It happens. My eyes aren't drawn to it.

I will leave it as it is and make the best out of it

 

[Shibui]

Already the chopped roots on one side are out of the soil. Please cover ASAP because you'll likely need the new roots that will grow from those roots. Personally I would have planted the entire tree with the trunk sloped more - tilt first photo to the right. That would not only get those roots under the soil. It will also show any roots on the opposite side and, more important, give the trunk better flow.

Looks like that first branch might even have a better angle with that tilt.

I can't see enough of the upper trunk to decide if it would be OK as is or whether that chop above the front branch will give a better result. It certainly gives taper and some more bends but may be just a little too far forward? Maybe tilt the trunk backward as well as to the right??

I've said it over and over. More chopping field grown trees -both trunk and roots - will usually give much better material and save the end user many years after this stage.

 

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

Already the chopped roots on one side are out of the soil. Please cover ASAP because you'll likely need the new roots that will grow from those roots. Personally I would have planted the entire tree with the trunk sloped more - tilt first photo to the right. That would not only get those roots under the soil. It will also show any roots on the opposite side and, more important, give the trunk better flow.
View attachment 601351
Looks like that first branch might even have a better angle with that tilt.

I can't see enough of the upper trunk to decide if it would be OK as is or whether that chop above the front branch will give a better result. It certainly gives taper and some more bends but may be just a little too far forward? Maybe tilt the trunk backward as well as to the right??

I've said it over and over. More chopping field grown trees -both trunk and roots - will usually give much better material and save the end user many years after this stage.

Thank you for your input .
Below a bare trunk with the part in the middle that shows partial inverse taper and looks not right to me.

I got it for free. The diameter of the trunk was simply worth trying to give it a future for me at least.

I am simply wondering if any cut could make it look better for its future design?

 

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

I coverd the base with more soil.
Those it help to poke tissue to stimulatie new growth on a tree?

I have read this somewhere a while ago

 

[Mike Westervelt]

I'd cut it above the second branch making it the new leader

 

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

Thanks for thinking along Mike

 

[leatherback]

This is from lower trunk the nicest front I think. Good start of fluting, and some ridges in the trunk adding to the idea of age. I would with this from remove the upper trunk section, and use the branch that comes off as new continuation. It seems to have one thin branch on it which I would allow to grow out.


To use most of the trunk, rotate the tree and look for a pleasing view, where the topsection comes towards you, rather than moves to the side so strongly. This seems like a good option, tilted to the right by some 15 degrees so the base of the trunk is slightly slanted to the right.:

Those it help to poke tissue to stimulatie new growth on a tree?

No need. Just get this to good health, and prune all new growth to the first nodes. It should burst with buds everywhere.

 

[BobbyLane]

Yesterday when looking at this, I was going to post chopping at same place!

 

[Shibui]

Below a bare trunk with the part in the middle that shows partial inverse taper and looks not right to me.

If the entire trunk doesn't look right then the chop above the front branch proposed by @leatherback would be a second choice. Again, with the trunk tilted to the right for the same reasons mentioned before.

 

[Paradox]

Agree with the first option posted by @leatherback. It is the best option imo

 

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

Thank you gentlemen for taking the time to reply
Usefull advice to me

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Agree with the first option posted by @leatherback. It is the best option imo

This was my first impression as well. Its a trident, you can thread graft branches wherever you want long term, but get the bones set now.