Help with trunk chopped maple

[smithy540]

Hi everyone,

just after some advice on this tree if possible. This trident maple was grown for more than 10 years in the ground, then trunk chopped, repotted etc. It has since sprouted again and is very healthy, i'll be moving it to a larger, flatter container shortly.

Just wondering which branch I could choose for the new trunk? The one which has already thickened up a little? Should I remove all the unwanted branches to direct energy into the new leader? I am worried that the branch at the top is at a strange unsightly angle, will this merge into the larger trunk after many years?


Thanks!!!

trident maple.jpg

[kcpoole]

I would remove everythig you do not want. Keep just the new leader and a few branches to thicken it up.

Make sure you wire some movement into the new trunk section so it not in the same line as the lower trunk
then Recut the base on the rear side and sloping down so that from the front you see some taper trather than a flat top.

See my Quercus thread for a similar type onf development. You can see the loping cut made easily
viewtopic.php?f=129&t=15644&p=162309&hi ... us#p159238

Ken

[smithy540]

Thanks Ken!

Those pictures are extremely helpful.

I'm going to start a few more maples this season as well and chop one really close to the ground and see how that goes.

[kcpoole]

Thanks Ken!

Those pictures are extremely helpful.

I'm going to start a few more maples this season as well and chop one really close to the ground and see how that goes.

Excellent to try ground growing you r own stock. Check the treads from Shibui and Antall about ground growing

Ken