New to the group and bonsai, just got this Trident Maple stock

A big greetings to everyone. I am a new member, hoping to find a great group, and learn bunches. I am in the Atlanta Georgia area (USA), and really am new to bonsai. I love trees, can identify most types by leaf or form, and have always wanted to try bonsai. Mainly just for fun (and to have some tress of my own I can take if I ever move again), and to learn from.

I really hope the group doesn't mind a billion questions because I likely will have that many lol. I'm gonna try to attach a couple pics of a tree I just picked up this weekend. I found a guy who had prebonsai stock in Trident Maples... a bonsai I really wanted to try. It has been container grown at least a year, trunk is just over 1" wide, and has been cut at the main leader with some cool side branching started. I guess I plan on either leaving it in the container for this year and beginning to work on branch thickness, and taper (main leader off trunk hopefully will grow in). I am also thinking maybe planting it container and all in the ground for a year. Guess my first questions are what would you do with the branches to get them ready for this spring, and when should I prune them?

Also it has nebari started, but also  has this huge woody root that just extends out and hangs in midair. There is one very tiny hair of a root from midway on the "root" to the ground, but other than that it just sits high and hangs in the air.. should this be cut off? (visible in the pics)

Thanks all,

Ray

My main recommendation would be that you join the Atlanta Bonsai Society, This info from the American Bonsai Soc. website may be out of date:

GEORGIA - Atlanta

Atlanta Bonsai Society meets at the Atlanta Botanical Garden located at 1345 Piedmont Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30309. Please check our site for dates of the meetings and workshops. For more information, contact: Mike Stoddard, Phone: (770) 656-1717, E-mail: mstoddard@cobbcounty.org Website: http://www.atlantabonsaisociety.com

Welcome! Consider cutting that big root back to the branching you mentioned, and bury it so more roots can start there as well.

There's really quite a few things you could do. Assuming there's feed roots below the soil line, you could just cut the root back. If there isn't a reasonable rootage below the soil line you could air layer it and start developing a new one from scratch.

And in any scenario, I'd pull it out of the gallon container it's in and plant it in a large training box, or in the ground. It'll grow much faster and thus develop much quicker.

Thanks for the replies

Jim... Thanks, yes I was planning to join ABS in the near future, seems like they have something going on nearly every month.

Precarious.. Yeah I am thinking that. The big thing is it sits higher than the rest of the roots at the nebari area, maybe 1/4 inch or more higher. So to bring soil up to it makes it a little difficult unless I mound it only in that one spot. Cutting it I am worried about a big scar and divet where it should have nebari. Though its still so young likely won't matter and guess I need to be thinking more long term.

Michael... Might try the air layering but will that stress the tree at all?.. if so may just remove it. This root thing really is just connected to the base of the trunk and just extends out. Not touching the dirt (just above) and has a tiny, and I mean tiny feeder root exposed for about the 1/4" in the air then into the soil. This is about halfway down the horizontal length of it. After overwintering and being a few "hairs" thick only don't even know if it will begin regrowing in spring (the feeder root).

Thanks for the growing input, the container I think is a 3 gallon. I have never done a large training box.. what size would you think, and what soil? Good quality potting soil? Putting it in the ground is of course another option, if I did I would probably do a tile under it to keep roots shallowish, but I had heard doing in the ground for 1-2 years would actually be slower than in a container in the ground for the same time? Reading.. it says after 3 yrs the in the ground trees will quickly outpace containter in the ground, but I was thinking only a year or 2 in ground if I do that. What do you think.. grow box, or in ground in container?

Any tips on the branching/beginning training would be appreciated as well. I mean yes I do want to increase the truck thickness still, and begin working on taper, but is it too early to worry with initial branching structure? I am really liking the side branching start it has, and figure by keeping the start I have and letting them grow and begin to thicken this year I will also increase trunk more than without? Or should I be worried with nothing but trunk thickness and a main leader for thickness and beginning taper?

I also picked up a Japanese Flowering Apricot from the same guy, about the same size as the trident, I'll try to get picks up on that in the next few days.

Oh, and is anyone near me (Atlanta GA).. really curious how others are overwintering their container trees. We will likely have some days coming at or below 25 degrees. I am thinking I will put them up against the house in a fairly sheltered area, with heavy mulching around them. The guy I bought the trees from swears by watering them heavily if a freeze is coming? ... says it helps the roots from freezing?

Thanks

Yes, up against the house and mulched. Water, they should not be dry.

I second Jim's recommendation - join a bonsai club.

Best of luck,

Augustine