Trident Maple pot change

[TimS]

I've had a pot on my shelf that i purchased on a bit of a whim some time ago, that has been awaiting a tree to go in it. Finally a tree entered my humble collection recently that seemed like it might be a good candidate for this pot, a root over rock Trident Maple.

This Trident grabbed my attention as a tree that has has good bones, just needs some care, time and attention to push the branches back and develop it better. It needs a good clean up, and some extraneous branches removed (though i will do that later as want to use them as cuttings), but on the whole this is a nice little tree imo. I took the very sharply pointed apex out of it, though it still needs reducing to make a far more spreading apex.

The tree is sitting too high in the pot i know, but this new pot is deceptively shallower this pot is than the original, so i decided to step this tree down into this pot over a couple of seasons, rather than all in one hit.


Tree as acquired it

1.jpg

The pot i changed it into

new pot.jpg

Tree in the new pot

final.jpg

3/4 angle so a better understanding of the structure of the tree can be seen.

front1.jpg

[Damonmate]

Lovely tree

[Ryceman3]

This Trident grabbed my attention as a tree that has has good bones, just needs some care, time and attention to push the branches back and develop it better. It needs a good clean up, and some extraneous branches removed (though i will do that later as want to use them as cuttings), but on the whole this is a nice little tree imo. I took the very sharply pointed apex out of it, though it still needs reducing to make a far more spreading apex.

Hi Tim, I agree with all you said above ... lots of branching in pretty good positions - just needs the ramification to be pushed back towards the trunk as you say. I'd be reducing the apex to at least the point below, and then (after you get your cuttings) seeing what you have to work with in terms of thinning and reducing branching etc... For me, I'd put particular focus on paring things back in the top third of the tree.
Are you sure you need cuttings??? It's such a great time to get your shape sorted when there is no foliage and you can really see what you are doing, which makes decision making easier and you can cut with confidence. I think compacting that main branch structure and then ramifying from there will have you looking at a great tree in the not too distant future.
Not sure about the pot ... but I am not the best at critiquing when it comes to pots so what would I know. The size to me looks pretty good.
Nice one.

TimSTrident.jpg

[Boics]

I agree with all of ryce suggestions.
I don't mind the pot and reckon it will look better in leaf.

[TimS]

Ryceman: You nailed it so much so that i just went and took at least 5cm off all around, and chopped the top out of it as well and the result is much better for sure and much closer to the picture you posted there.

There is a lack of buds inside at the moment to cut back to because the canopy shaded it out, but i will be eliminating fair few of the unnecessary branches in the upper section for cuttings and hopefully this will help stimulate new buds inside. This tree naturally has a small leaf so i'm keen to grow more of it that's all.

Thanks Boics, it's a hard pot to photograph, the colour looks quite washed out in pictures annoyingly.

[Ryceman3]

This tree naturally has a small leaf so i'm keen to grow more of it that's all.

This was the only real reason I could think you would go the cutting route - makes sense in that regard. Look forward to seeing it progress!

[TimS]

Couple of quick photos of this tree in the new pot leafing out. This isn't the season i'm aiming to be showing this tree in, but still doesn't look terrible in this pot. Turns out the leaf isn't as small as i recall, so no cuttings taken.

I'm seeing is uneven energy distribution in the branches, especially the first one on the left side, so i'll be working on evening that up

4919a.jpg

4919b.jpg

4919c.jpg

[MJL]

Couple of quick photos of this tree in the new pot leafing out. This isn't the season i'm aiming to be showing this tree in, but still doesn't look terrible in this pot. Turns out the leaf isn't as small as i recall, so no cuttings taken.

I'm seeing is uneven energy distribution in the branches, especially the first one on the left side, so i'll be working on evening that up

4919a.jpg
4919b.jpg
4919c.jpg

Howdy Tim,
Apologies if this is a silly question but don't leaves reduce in size with defoliation - so where you note that leaf isn't as small ... do some variants of tridents have smaller leaves naturally? Further, will you reduce leaf size with defoliation or amI just making all that up.

...and for those interested in the cricket... Broad is in the process of demolishing Australia - bowling well.

[TimS]

Couple of quick photos of this tree in the new pot leafing out. This isn't the season i'm aiming to be showing this tree in, but still doesn't look terrible in this pot. Turns out the leaf isn't as small as i recall, so no cuttings taken.

I'm seeing is uneven energy distribution in the branches, especially the first one on the left side, so i'll be working on evening that up

4919a.jpg
4919b.jpg
4919c.jpg

Howdy Tim,
Apologies if this is a silly question but don't leaves reduce in size with defoliation - so where you note that leaf isn't as small ... do some variants of tridents have smaller leaves naturally? Further, will you reduce leaf size with defoliation or amI just making all that up.

...and for those interested in the cricket... Broad is in the process of demolishing Australia - bowling well.

Just as there is variation in seed grown Japanese Maple, there is in Trident Maple. From this there are cultivars with naturally smaller leaves, and some with naturally larger leaves. Yes, performing defoliation will result in a smaller leaf, but if you start with a larger leaf, the new smaller leaf might still be bigger than that of a cultivar or seed grown that naturally has a small leaf.

This had definitely had defoliation performed, as the new leaf size is at least twice what it was in Autumn. It’s not huge, it’s acceptable without being worth propagation if that makes sense.

[TimS]

Quick November update for this tree.

It's settling in well to the new pot, it's only dried out once during a hot day, but recovered just fine.

I had an aphid situation occur (every spring i have it!) and i partially defoliated it to get on top of it. It has since leafed out again and is as you see it below now. I still like his tree in this pot; i'm finding myself drawn to less gaudy glazes now, and this one works well at not distracting from the tree with the colours being a little bit muted.

I'm considering removing the first branch on the left hand size in the front photo. I feel like it is too low on the tree, but i'd be happy to hear other's opnions on that branch and the keep it/ cut it choice. The downside would be the trunk is virtually scarless at the moment and that would be lost for a very long time if i do cut it off.

Front shot

trinov19.jpg

Rear Shot

trinov19b.jpg

[MJL]

Cheers for the update. I think it's a decision to sleep on... for a year or two. I guess I am saying, don't rush - once it's gone it's g.o.r.n.

I see some nice maples (tridents included) with rather low branches. An example is attached.

Screen Shot 2019-11-02 at 8.59.06 pm.jpeg

[matlea]

Agree with MLJ. No rush. Personally I like the low branch

[Ryceman3]

Agree with the “keep it” camp for now. I don’t think it looks to be compromising the trunk structurally (no bar branching, inverse taper etc) and so if nothing else it is acting as a sacrifice to gain a thicker base while you decide. I don’t mind it. Tree looks good!

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Lovely tree TimS,
Don't be crazy! I would be keeping the lower branch also.

A shallower and slightly wider pot may be the aim for the future but I guess you are dictated by the amount of rock under the soil level? You probably have discovered that choosing pots for some deciduous trees can be a bit conflicting – in a winter silhouette form the tree can look proportional, but when they leaf out, the same pot looks too small with the added bulk of foliage. What a wonderful dilemma!!

[TimS]

Thanks everyone for the swift kick up the bum as regard the lower branch! Maybe it's a case of 'idle hands' and 'the devil's work' here.

KKCA -> You are spot on with your comment about the leaf mass and the pot size. In winter silhouette i really love this pot and tree combination, but the leaf mass does dwarf the pot now. Not a bad conundrum as you point out! When i repotted it, the root ball was very dense so it was hard to discern excatly where the rock begins. Ideally i would have it sitting lower in the pot, but that can come next time i repot and hopefully by then i might have another pot to trial it with.