restoring and old trident

[anttal63]

Thanks Gerard, I am sure there are plenty of trees all over melbourne with that Hiro touch
Tony I thought you would like this one, Jow and others have recommended root grafts I am in two minds I can produce plenty of tridents with radial nebari but quite like the out of date character of this tree.
Craigw

Craig you cant leave this tree like this Please

[craigw60]

Heres an update on the old trident. It has been defoliated once and wired twice this season. There is a 1m long whip growing from the crown to thicken the new leader a bit and help the scar to start healing.
Craigw

[Jow]

Looking much healthier than when you first took custody of it! I cant wait to see how its looking in winter once its bare.

Joe

[lackhand]

Craig,

I'm no master, but I like the roots like they are. There are lots of trees with the latest trend going on. You have a piece of history there. Plus, who knows, in ten years this root style may be the new thing.

Bottom line - if you like it, keep it.

[anttal63]

Looks the goods mate !!!

[Scott Roxburgh]

[craigw60]

Hi Scott, this one is going to be a long slow job. I am now thinking I need to remove the remaining original branch and approach graft a new main branch lower on the trunk ?
Craigw

[Webos]

I don't mind the original branches where they are but I'd like to see the first left branch bigger longer and stronger to counterbalance that massive root on the right. In bonsai, patience is a skill which i need to develop. I can see that your patience certainly pays off because your trees dont display obvious design faults. After several years in bonsai, I am now steering away from feeble attempts at creating instant masterpieces. They never work and future custodians of my trees will thank me for not having to deal with faults which will take another lifetime to correct.

Adam

[Jeff]

Looking great Craig. Check out the photo of the Japanese Red Pine Hiro looked at the same night.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater

Jeff

[craigw60]

Looking good Jeff, a few kilos of wire there.
Adam instant bonsai are a long term disaster. All the branches except the last remaining original have been grown by me over the last couple of seasons and are a way off what I would consider their ultimate length a tree with a trunk like this one should have quite long branches. I like to bring the branches out slowly with plenty of cutting and regrowing to create those little bumps and curves which are so desirable in an old tree.
Craigw

[Jow]

Looking good Craig. It is always good to see an old tree being restored.

[Shane Martin]

Hi Craig, this is a great tree, and is not to many years off being spectacular. A couple of simple changes will get it well on the way.
I have done a very quick virt to show you what I mean.
I would change the potting angle to bring the apex over the centre of the base, and this will drop that big root down into the soil a little which will lessen it's distraction, and also give the tree a feeling of real stability. Secondly, cut that right hand primary back to 3 or 4 inches now!!! If you don't... you will regret it in 20yrs time, I assure you. The tree will bud in no time and you can start to develop well needed taper to it. Let the new shoot run to a meter or so and chop the shoot back again keeping internodes no longer than 1 cm, and so on. This will also balance energy and let the other branches catch up. Feed feed feed..... don't worry about leaf size right now....at this stage larger leaves are your friend. If you have a very open free draining soil mix, I would feed every 7-10 days with Nitrosol or Powerfeed/Seasol combo, and of course full sun. I have a number of tridents exactly like yours in the same stage of development and its a wonderful stage to be at.

Craigs Trident.jpg

[Scott Roxburgh]

Almost a year on, I think it is time for a I'm keen to see any work that was done this year?

[Freckl]

nearly 2 years on! I'm sure we would all love to see a branching update