REPOST: Trident progression over 5 years

I editted my photobucket albums, which I believe removed the images from my initial post yesterday. The progression isn't much appreciated without the images, so I will REPOST. Apologies.

Trident maple import, 4" trunk, 8" root spread, 30" tall, age unknown, in my training for 5 years. Posted 2 years ago, at that time suggestions were to fatten lower branches, and potentially shorten further +/- loose some lower branches. Also mentioned was to unify movement of branches.

Where to go from here? All suggestions welcome. My thoughts at present are to keep lower branches, continue to thicken and lengthen lower branches, work further on unifying branch direction/motion and potentially loose a branch or 2 on right lower third. I don't want a tree with "pads" per see, looking for more natural look. That being said, in leaf the tree is very dense.

Summer 2006:


Early Spring 2008:



Early Spring 2008 (after repot and apex reduced 2"):



Late Spring 2008:


Autumn 2008 (defoliated that Summer):


Summer 2011 (following defoliation, thickening lower branches with free growth/cutback and branch refinement):



All thoughts, suggestions, virtuals much appreciated!

This is my opion!! your tree looks great the way it is....I f you remove any branches on the right there are 2 close togather,,,if the 1 goes to the back i,d wire it more to the back,,if not remove 1 of them..thats all i,d do !! don,t cut more branches it looks balenced to me . let it grow like it is!! very nice tree take care john

I agree, looks very good. I do think the tree would have more character if the lower branches were visually stronger. Nice work and keep updating in years to come.

A really great progression, thanks for posting.
Just a point for discussion- if you believe in the theory of 1/3's then perhaps you need to expose more of the lower trunk (removal of lower branches) to portray a more mature tree?
Cheers G.

Thank you for your 3 replies above.

I think it is clear, the next development goal of this tree need be the lower branches. No question, they need to get thicker. I have done a bit of this over the last 2 years, allowing leaders to grow 1-3 feet, then cutting back. The tree looks pretty goofy, and by mid summer I want something more attractive to look at so I whack it down, then defoliate. To get to where I want to go, I might have to look at a goofy tree for several more years!

With respect to the 1/3 rule, I have considered it. Technically, it might be the right choice to clear the lower 1/3 of the trunk of branches. However, I am currently holding on to the 'spirit' of the tree, which seems to be more whole with the lower branches. I think I'll grow them out, thicken them up and see what it looks like after several years. I'll be sure to post again.

Thank you all, Josh

lovely progression -for me it's time to let the lower branches grow a lot wider, the mid branches grow a little and to keep the top the same - this will also increase the diameter of the lower branches so they are not quite so twiggy in the winter image. At the moment the tree looks like a ginko / flame type image - just the same way as the trident imports come in - but the trunk is lovely now and needs mature branches to balance it.

I am at exactly the same position as you - i had a dinky little trident import with 1" dia trunk, so I field grew it for a few years and cut off all the heavy branches, but that left me with a lovely trunk thats 8" Diameter & a root flare thats nearly spans the 19" pot, but with skinny little twigs as branches - Last summer it looked like a slim green bush like your first picture, so John Trott used it as a demo piece at the eden project. He thinned the many little branches and simplified the tree by reducing their number by at least half -



now i have the job of extending them while keeping short internodes and good ramification. - i think the trident needs to be as wide as it is high, this image looks mature for a maple

Marcus, thank you for your suggestion, well said. This will be the plan for next several years.

marcus watts wrote:it's time to let the lower branches grow a lot wider, the mid branches grow a little and to keep the top the same - this will also increase the diameter of the lower branches so they are not quite so twiggy in the winter image - but the trunk is lovely now and needs mature branches to balance it.

With respect to your tree, great trident. Keep us posted as you work on thickening branches and filling out.

Josh