Trident Styling Advice

[Elias]

Hi All,

Being a cold rainy day not much can be done outside, so I thought I'll post a couple of pics of a Trident maple that will be a challenge to style I think....
I have had a few different opinions regarding how to style this tree, one suggestion involved splitting the trunk, other have been to let the tree grow and use sacrificial branches to to heal the scar....... Either way work will be carried out next spring so I have much time to think about how to approach this tree.
Anyone have any suggestions....?

Thanks,
Elias

[63pmp]

Hi Eliast,

If it was my tree I'd would treat it in this manner,

Before bud burst I would,

Fertilize it heavily. (Start fertilizing now and during winter)

Cut off any branches growing upward

Round of the large " V " left over from the trunk chop, the sharp angle here will slow healing as well as cause a thick callus to form before it rolls onto the exposed wood. Trident's in training form a thin callus, awkward " V " shaped chops like this will not heal well on a trident.

The two low lateral branches I would chop back to whatever bud's are closest to the trunk.

I would greatly reduce the top, all with the aim of breaking new buds on or near the trunk.

After bud burst I would select a shoot above the scar, preferably on the same side of the tree, and let it grow as a sacrifice, all the while pinching shoots on the lower branches. The sacrifice will draw energy from these branches helping with ramification.

Its a shame that the trunk had been cut in that manner, but i think the tree has great potential, train it so that the scar is at the back.

Paul

[Gary Bee]

Hi Paul,
Can you expand on the healing over process for Trident wounds?

Like, you mention thin callous covering on trees in training? Is the callous different if the tree is not in training?

The reason is I have a similar stump, yet to be introduced to the Forum (no photo as yet) and I am confronted with similar scar issues.

Regards
Tmaster
<](:-))

[Elias]

Hi Paul,

I was waiting for someone to respond to this thread, thank you for your reply, I like the idea of healing the scar as opposed to splitting the trunk and doing hollows (someone else suggested it).... I will do as you've suggested even though this will take several years, but I think it will worth the effort, I think I will plant it in the ground if I have sufficient room. (To give you an idea of the scale of the tree, the base measures about 17cm at the widest point)

Tmaster I believe the sacrificial branch aids in healing the scar, and these branches are left to grow for a couple of years and the chopped back once it has served its purpose... there was a thread on bonsaitalk.com that had pictures which showed the process of healing scars on sumo tridents, but the site is down for some reason, so I can post the link...

Elias

[63pmp]

Tmaster,

From what I've observed with growing tridents in the ground, in styrofoam boxes and in pots, the thickness of a healing wound tends to vary with the rate at which the trunk (or branch) is thickening.

I recently had my computer and digital camera stolen so I can't post any photos, I'll have to describe it in words. I'm talking about large wounds, say 3-5 cm wide. When trees are growing rapidly in the ground the tissue growing over the wound is quite thick, up to 1cm on one of my trees. On some specimens growing for 1st year after repotting into a styrofoam box, the callous is about 2mm thick. On advanced trees in bonsai pots, the callous is about 1mm thick.

It seems to me to depend on how thickly/quickly that part of the tree is growing. On Japanese maples and Trident I try not to make wounds too deep or flat, but rounded to mimic the shape of the trunk. I find they heal to give a more natural finish. I've noticed on Tridents that have a sharp wound edge, they tend to form a thick callus here and then the callus creeps into the wound, so that the healed wound is raised at the edges and a bit ugly.

So with Eliast's tree i would think that actively thickening the upper portion of the trunk would balance the taper of the tree, but would also fill up the wound, I would make the wound a little larger by removing the sharp edge.

Eliast.

I think you tree has potential. Another thought I had was to fill the wound with epoxy putty and allow the tree to heal over that. I've not done it, but I have read about it being done.

[anttal63]

gentlemen my ticker is ticking, if you are serious about this being a long term project there is many design options to consider. i'd like to see this one in person. it definataley looks like a good base to start with. im not sure yet about whats going on up top. i think it could almost have a clean cut just under the existing one and a new trunkline found after it pops, with a tilt in the planting angle. now if your talking back to the carving a hollow or split trunk effect and design a rugged scary tree uum that could work. paul that is very interesting info on the rate of callous growth! i see 2 solutions

1) controlled ground growth------- poly box, even better a hydro top box that is very large and has a grill on the bottom for very fast drainage and allows the roots to run, if placed on a gravel rasied bed ( being my preferred surface to put it on). this way you can come in and cut the roots growing out from the underneath of the box. this will slow the growth at your will. when first planted in one of these boxes, if moved in the first 6 to 12 months the tree is disturbed for the box is a little unstable until theres suffecient roots in there.

2) your cut must be extreme almost vertical if not.which this tree has. i think this would allow for thicker callousing. or/and

3) which probably should always be done if you want the most seem less heal. every year or second redress the wound. if things are getting ugly you recarve it out dress and neaten and again seal. careful to get the cut like an upside down tear drop so that water runs away. filling it works very well too in combo with redressing it every other year or so.