Twisty shohin trident from scratch

[keri-wms]

I wired this before sticking it in the ground, I initially wanted to go Neagari but one root took over too fast. The thinner root left a spiral groove that looks just like wire scarring! I’m layering it to re-start a nebari, it can’t get any thicker without some silly reverse taper appearing. I’m leaving branch selection to get upper taper until after the layer has worked....

 

[Shibui]

Stray roots on trident can be a real pain.
Love the twists in that trunk. How many did you break before getting that sort of bends in a trident?

I would not even bother with the tourniquet. I would just chop the roots there and plant it. Tridents grow new roots with extreme ease.

 

[keri-wms]

Stray roots on trident can be a real pain.
Love the twists in that trunk. How many did you break before getting that sort of bends in a trident?

I would not even bother with the tourniquet. I would just chop the roots there and plant it. Tridents grow new roots with extreme ease.

Yeah you can see it was already launching new roots at the soil surface - thought I may as well play it safe, the wire might add some handy swelling though

 

[Shibui]

the wire might add some handy swelling though

Interesting concept.
I assume that any healing will cause swelling so would not cutting it straight off also add to the thickness.
In actual fact I have noted that strong lateral roots adds most to the buttress of trunks so in that case I think that getting it to rely on the lateral roots alone and probably also grow some more at the same time would actually speed the process but probably only by a fraction.
There are always many ways to arrive at a similar result. Enjoy the journey with this one.

 

[keri-wms]

Interesting concept.
I assume that any healing will cause swelling so would not cutting it straight off also add to the thickness.
In actual fact I have noted that strong lateral roots adds most to the buttress of trunks so in that case I think that getting it to rely on the lateral roots alone and probably also grow some more at the same time would actually speed the process but probably only by a fraction.
There are always many ways to arrive at a similar result. Enjoy the journey with this one.

I find some trees have a dramatic reaction to a wire loop, for instance may I present The “Turnip” Oak!

 

[keri-wms]

Love the twists in that trunk. How many did you break before getting that sort of bends in a trident?

I forgot to reply regarding the twists, it was either a weak 2yr shoot, or possibly a root that I initially wired. Annoyingly I probably have photos to document the process/jog my memory......”somewhere”!