Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Forum for discussion of Deciduous bonsai – Maples, Crabapple, Hornbeam, Elm species etc.
User avatar
melbrackstone
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3441
Joined: December 15th, 2015, 8:05 pm
Favorite Species: the ones that live
Bonsai Age: 28
Bonsai Club: Redlands, BIMER, VNBC
Location: Brisbane
Has thanked: 1190 times
Been thanked: 707 times
Contact:

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by melbrackstone »

I'm impressed, even the trunks look like they've thickened up a fair bit in that short time! (Or am I just imagining it.)

I have a couple that almost look like this, should I be looking to prune it back too? Or should I wait for the leaves to harden up a bit?
User avatar
MJL
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2840
Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
Bonsai Age: 7
Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 424 times
Been thanked: 643 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by MJL »

Yep - I reckon this is going to be a ripper over time. I was just checking out the replanting that you conducted earlier this year and the addition of the replacement trees have added to the story, particularly the thicker one on the middle of the left side grouping. I know it is all thickening up remarkably quickly but I think part of the is perception and quiet art of deception too; the magic of adding a few slightly older trees somehow 'ages' the whole forest. I look forward to seeing this forest progress.

Also, I'm learning from this Forum (among other things!) just how aggressive experienced growers are in the context of cutting stuff back. I am getting there... but I still have to take some concrete pills to harden up ...
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
User avatar
Ryceman3
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2595
Joined: October 19th, 2014, 10:39 am
Favorite Species: Pines & Mels
Bonsai Age: 7
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 1041 times
Been thanked: 1535 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by Ryceman3 »

Gave the pines a rest today and did some maintenance on this when I had a second. It looks a bit dishevelled but there's method to the madness. I'm growing out a few leaders to thicken them up, the rest got a cut back and thinned out the shoots/leaves to let a bit more light into the middle. All the trees are looking healthy and are growing on well, I'm happy with it for now.
:beer:
trident forest_1018_02.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Ryceman3
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2595
Joined: October 19th, 2014, 10:39 am
Favorite Species: Pines & Mels
Bonsai Age: 7
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 1041 times
Been thanked: 1535 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by Ryceman3 »

Quick update - growing on as it does in summer so I gave it a chop back today, was happy with the way things are thickening up - I'll be getting close to focussing on some branching etc. in the next year or so which should hopefully take this forest up a notch. Tridents love summer at my joint! :beer:
IMG_3667B.jpg
IMG_3668B.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
melbrackstone
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3441
Joined: December 15th, 2015, 8:05 pm
Favorite Species: the ones that live
Bonsai Age: 28
Bonsai Club: Redlands, BIMER, VNBC
Location: Brisbane
Has thanked: 1190 times
Been thanked: 707 times
Contact:

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by melbrackstone »

It's very clear you have the touch with those trees!
User avatar
MJL
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2840
Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
Bonsai Age: 7
Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 424 times
Been thanked: 643 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by MJL »

Thanks for the update R3. It is clearly a very healthy forest. I don’t know if you feel the same but there’s something pretty satisfying about giving a forest a haircut. You end up with a heap of cuttings and you can almost hear that forest sigh in relief that so much light is now allowed in. Keep up the good work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
User avatar
Boics
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2189
Joined: September 27th, 2012, 6:16 pm
Favorite Species: Banksia, Syzygium, Cotoneaster. Leptospermum
Bonsai Age: 7
Location: Victoria Inner City Fringe
Has thanked: 28 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by Boics »

Holy sheet.
Lots of trees!!
One of the fabulous things about growing bonsai is as you get old and decrepit your trees get old and beautiful
User avatar
Ryceman3
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2595
Joined: October 19th, 2014, 10:39 am
Favorite Species: Pines & Mels
Bonsai Age: 7
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 1041 times
Been thanked: 1535 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by Ryceman3 »

Thanks Mel, MJL & Boics,
Very happy with the progress on my tridents, they are good fun, very responsive ... a fantastic tree for the impatient bonsai grower as you can always find something to do with them if you’re looking for a job!
@MJL : I do like opening up the forest with a big prune - it’s becoming one of my bigger jobs - can be daunting if you leave it too long but it feels like you’re doing real bonsai when you spend a bit of time on just the one project. Without it I would be worrying about the health of the inner trees. Not only in terms of light, but water access when the growth is pretty rampant. If you don’t pay attention they will get overtaken by their neighbours that reside closer to the edges. Shibui warned me early in this thread about outer trees taking over as they get the best of the conditions, never a truer word spoken...
:beer:
gnichols
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 169
Joined: March 30th, 2011, 2:37 pm
Favorite Species: Japanese Maple
Bonsai Age: 5
Bonsai Club: Canberra Bonsai Society
Location: Canberra
Been thanked: 34 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by gnichols »

I picked up a handful of trident seeds at one of our bonsai meetings last year and about 40 little buggers sprouted so I guess I'll be trying a group soon.

Sent from my SM-G570F using Tapatalk
User avatar
Ryceman3
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2595
Joined: October 19th, 2014, 10:39 am
Favorite Species: Pines & Mels
Bonsai Age: 7
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 1041 times
Been thanked: 1535 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by Ryceman3 »

gnichols wrote:I picked up a handful of trident seeds at one of our bonsai meetings last year and about 40 little buggers sprouted so I guess I'll be trying a group soon.
You should! :yes:
User avatar
melbrackstone
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3441
Joined: December 15th, 2015, 8:05 pm
Favorite Species: the ones that live
Bonsai Age: 28
Bonsai Club: Redlands, BIMER, VNBC
Location: Brisbane
Has thanked: 1190 times
Been thanked: 707 times
Contact:

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by melbrackstone »

I saw this the other day....something to use seedlings for. :) Shohin group!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvPkGAq21Uc
User avatar
MJL
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2840
Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
Bonsai Age: 7
Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 424 times
Been thanked: 643 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by MJL »

melbrackstone wrote:I saw this the other day....something to use seedlings for. :) Shohin group!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvPkGAq21Uc
Lovely little video that MelB - cheers. [THUMBS UP SIGN]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
User avatar
Ryceman3
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2595
Joined: October 19th, 2014, 10:39 am
Favorite Species: Pines & Mels
Bonsai Age: 7
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 1041 times
Been thanked: 1535 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by Ryceman3 »

Just to keep the thread updated, I gave this a repot over the weekend and did some minor tweaks to the compostion. I was happy with the growth under the soil ... lots of healthy roots which were cut back in the usual manner.
I looked to raise the left side of the composition a bit to get some more differentiation in ground level. I also shifted a smaller tree in closer to the main trunk and moved around a few that were adjacent to try for a bit more randomness in placement. I'm happier with how they sit now ... but looking at the photos I may need to re-adjust a bit more to keep the angles flowing nicely from the front view. I guess there's always something to work on, particularly in a group planting!
:beer:
IMG_4382.jpg
IMG_4389.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
TimS
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 1919
Joined: March 17th, 2017, 2:46 pm
Favorite Species: Japanese Maple
Bonsai Age: 9
Bonsai Club: Waverly Bonsai Group
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 426 times
Been thanked: 537 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by TimS »

Coming along very well indeed. I was half tempted to repot one of my tridents over the weekend, but felt it was too early. No issues doing it this early in winter?
In the blue darkening sky, the moon paints a pine tree.
User avatar
Ryceman3
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2595
Joined: October 19th, 2014, 10:39 am
Favorite Species: Pines & Mels
Bonsai Age: 7
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 1041 times
Been thanked: 1535 times

Re: Trident Maple Forest [Ryceman3]

Post by Ryceman3 »

TimS wrote: July 8th, 2019, 1:12 pm Coming along very well indeed. I was half tempted to repot one of my tridents over the weekend, but felt it was too early. No issues doing it this early in winter?
Hi Tim,
I have no issues repotting tridents now at all. I think last year I did it in mid June with this forest and it never had any issues. I also did some Chinese Elms on the weekend and I'm super comfortable they will all be fine. Both species are very forgiving (as you know!). I should also add that I am very close to the CBD and in the 20+ years I have been here I remember maybe one frost ... and even that was mild in it's severity so that might be something to consider, but even so I think I would still feel OK about doing root work on tridents at this time of the year around Melbourne. I expect no issues at all.
:beer:
Post Reply

Return to “Deciduous”