Trident Maple Prebonsai

Positive points

I purchased this trident maple May 31, 2004. It was dug from a field in northern Louisiana February of 2004. It possesses a massive nebari or root-base that spreads evenly from the base of the trunk, or miki. The box is 22" square, and the nebari nearly fills it. Taper is excellent in the first eight to ten inches of trunk height. Its leaves are relatively small, lending itself to a medium or larger sized bonsai. It seems to be in the most excellent of health, exhibiting plentiful healthy new growth. Trident maples are a very fast-growing species suited quite well to bonsai culture. This is why they have been revered in Japan for centuries. Their leaves reduce well, and with proper techniques, develop quite quickly into specimen bonsai.

Challenges

As can be seen from these photos, one of the main drawbacks is the two trunk lines of large girth rising vertically from the base. A proper trunk line would have to be chosen from these. Twin trunk style would not be appropriate in that the trunks separated too far above the base of the tree. Removing a trunk and overlarge branches will create large wounds that would need several seasons to heal properly.

The tree overall is too tall, approximately 32 inches from base to top. The top 1/2 to 2/3 of the trunk will have to be removed, and a new leader grown, to provide proper taper and proportions. This will necessitate several years to rebuild the crown of the tree.

Another drawback to trees this size is their weight. Right now this tree and its pot and soil weigh approximately 65 lbs. Enthusiasts working alone will find it difficult to handle trees this size. I recommend enlisting a neighbor or club member. Needless to say, I am hoping that this can be reduced.

First Steps

I chose the trunk line and removed the extra trunk. Since the tree is very vigorous, I chose to remove the smaller of the two this season instead of waiting a year. I removed the smaller was ramrod straight, about one and one-half inches thick, and twelve inches long. I also cleaned up a large saw mark from a previous pruning, and removed a superfluous branch at the base. I cleaned these wounds up with a grafting knife and chisel, making them as smooth and close to the trunk line as possible. Since the trident is such a thin-barked tree, I did not carve these wounds deeply into the wood. To give these some time to heal, I decided to end the work there for this season. The remaining foliage will help to heal the wounds, and next year the tree will receive more pruning work.

The image at the left is the probable front after the work. The trunk line is obvious, although the exact trunk chop point is up for debate. After a great deal of thought and some instruction from Boon, I have decided to chop the trunk about halfway up the tree, (red line) where the taper ends. I am feeding the tree rather heavily with BioGold Original, although any organic bonsai fertilizer will do. It is crucial to feed this tree well. Without the heavy feeding schedule, it would be hard pressed to heal the wounds quickly. This way I can begin work in the spring of 2005.

The final  photo shows the covered wounds ten days following the pruning work. A careful examination of the cut putty shows a ridge at the edge of each, indicating the healing has already begun. I removed as much of the sawdust from the soil surface as possible, and allowed the tree to grow unhindered for the season.

The training plan will be to remove the top and all the branches except the smallest and most flexible. Cuts will be covered and the tree will be allowed to grow freely. When a branch appears that seems advantageous as a new leader, it will be wired into place.

October 2004 brought an early snow with unexpectedly frigid temperatures. All the leaves were still green, so the tree was exposed. I put it in the garage and babied it all winter, after stripping off the frozen leaves. It has budded well, so now was the time to remove the trunk and branches.

When chopping a trunk, the first cut should always be horizontal. Leave a stub to be reduced later. This preserves more of the trunk line, and more adventitious buds will be available as potential leaders.

New!

The Chop

There is no need to cover the stub, but it certainly wouldn't hurt anything, either. Because of the extensive nature of the limb removal on the tree, I decided to putty everything.

This wound has been reduced with concave cutters but has not yet been cleaned up properly. I removed all the branches except for two at the top. I was just a little nervous about the number and locations of wounds to heal up. Neither of the two will be used in the final design. Before doing the work, this was the probable front. It still possesses the widest point in the nebari, but it does seem a bit blocky. With a tree like this, however, I can decide on the new front at any time in the next few years. Notice the branch wired down on the left. The only useable branches on a tree in this stage of development will be this size.

Here is another possible front for the tree. The trunk will show better movement with a more natural nebari. The trunk seems less square and the taper is more uniform.

Future Work

What does the future hold for this tree? How does one go about creating the branches to make them look as natural as possible? There is a clue in the following photo:

Notice the wire scars on the branch stubs. This is intentional. Trident maple branches must be wired and set into place while they are still very young and flexible. I will wire the length of the shoots, set curves all the way down, and let the wire cut in. This sets the branch in place quickly. Then the wire is removed and the branch pruned hard. I may use only the first curve or two at the base of the branch. When new shoots extend, I will defoliate the tree and repeat the process. With proper care and feeding, I will get at least two wirings or maybe three in a summer in Kansas City. This advances the tree quickly. How long before I can expect to show this tree for the first time?

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