Trident Maple

Being new to bonsai and having read a lot of info in books and on the web, I knew the place to go to get answers to my questions was from all of you! I purchased a small trident maple. It is a 25 inches tall whip. I have done nothing except put it in a growing bed. I want this trident to have multiple trunks. Here are my questions: 1: When can I cut the top off? 2) Do I have to prune the roots when I prune the top? 3) Will the caliper of the trunk continue to increase if I repot the trident into a larger pot each time I report it rather than putting it back into the same pot? Thanks.

1. Chop the trunk when the bottom section of the trunk is as thick as you want it to be. Read this: http://evergreengardenworks.com/trunks.htm

2. The more you prune the roots, the slower it will grow. The earlier you address the roots, the fewer issues you'll have with them later. You need to decide if you're happy with what will be the surface roots (nebari), or if they need work. I know one grower that addresses the roots first, then grows out the trunk. I don't know if this is the 'normal' way of doing things, but I've bought a couple trees from him and been very happy with the nebari.

3. Yes. You don't have to remove roots when you repot. It all depends on what you're trying to achieve. If you're happy with the nebari, or the roots that will become the nebari, plant it and let it grow. If it fills the pot with roots and you want more size, give it more room to grow and it will get bigger faster. Just don't go too much bigger too fast. You can over pot. Read this: http://evergreengardenworks.com/earthpot.htm

Hope that helps,

Christian

Thanks for the info, Chansen. I need to get over the beginners urge to chop something off and put it in a pot. In this "instant" world that we live, Bonsai offers a good lesson in patience.

I'm not at all sure that chopping a "whip" will ever produce multiple trunks, though. How many trunks are you hoping for? You might do better getting a few more whips, then trying to merge them.

Jim, I was at a landscape nursery and saw a beautiful $1500 Trident that had about four or five trunks. That is what I want my bonsai to look like before I die in about 25 years. I never thought about merging multiple "whips". That may be the best thing to do. Thanks for the idea. Would I wire the trunks together? h

Here is a link to another thread regarding the fusion of several small trees into one larger one.

https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t6867-my-fused-ficus

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and links to additional information. I'm sure I will be back with more questions as I move further along the road to creating my bonsai. H

buy a copy of Peter Adams book on Japanese Maples. It has lots of info on developing maples.

Thanks, Frank. I have been trying to figure out which book to buy. I'll look for his. I see you are from Macon. Are there any bonsai nurseries over there. The closest one I found was at the monastery in Conyers.

H
Nope. The monastery in Conyers is the closest. I am a member of the Atlanta Bonsai Society and go to their workshops often. Erik Weigert is doing the July workshop on tropicals which I am attending. They have an auction every year to benefit the club - on August 20 this year. http://www.atlantabonsaisociety.com/ It is a good group.

Where are you located?

Frank

I'm in Thomaston. My master gardener club was at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in April when the Atlanta Bonsai Club (I think) was having a show. Seeing the exhibit got my interest up, so I am very new to this idea of keeping plants small rather than making them big. I am interested in beginner classes. There is going to be one at the Monastery in September that I have signed up for.

The Monastery is great. Enjoy your class.

Drive a little farther and go to plant city bonsai sadly the monastary not carrying much of a selection anymore. Talked to the staff there seems to be a lot of politics going on. Plant city has better selection and prices.

sorry to hear that about the Monastery. They are finishing a $5 million expansion project and I was told after the bonsai shop gets relocated, they will have more plants. I wonder if the pressure of fund raising $5 million has affected them.

flor 1, I talked to the gentlemen from Plant City Bonsai at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens Bonsai show. That is when I get the idea that I might enjoy Bonsai. He was very easy to talk to. I do hope to get to Plant City one day. h