AusBonsai

hello everyone this is one of my oldest bonsai stock, can anyone give me some advice on styling? i will not re-pot until spring, or root prune, a few days ago i put some wire on but i had some trouble bending the branches without snapping them off. any advice would be awesome, as my status sais i am new to bonsai. thanks simo

Hi Simo, Your trident looks to me like it needs to be shortened a bit. I am always reluctant to make suggestions as to where on the basis of a pic but I would say you need to create some more taper on this tree. It has been grown too strongly too quickly. i am surprised to see it still in leaf.
Craig

so when you say shorten you mean chop the trunk back to the notch? and yes it has lost alot of leaves but is still loosing them for winter. cheers mate

Theres a branch on the right side of the tree which is heading upwards already and would make an ideal top. The top section of your tree is very heavy and strong a nice new fine top would improve it immensely.
Craig

Hi Simo, I rotated the pic so we can have a better look.
Cheers,
Mojo

Too Tall, and not much taper

I would airlayer off the top section below the bend, and then cut the bottom section back to the first branch on the right which woud becomethe new leader

2 Nice sized trees for the price of 1

Ken

i dont know how to airlayer, is it easy with maples?

air layer on maple is ok.
refer to the link below on how to air layer. do it on spring
http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATLayering.html

Hi Simo, while I think Kens advice is good it may be a little intimidating for a beginner like yourself to start chopping up your trees like that. Maples layer pretty easily so obviously its up to you.
Craig

sorry for butting in simo on ur thread but thought it might be useful to ask- can someone explain and show how you would cut simo's tree down, i get how the right branch would be wired up to be the next leader but what type of cut would be made to the trunk under this leader if it was goin to be a formal upright? do you carve as well?

Its difficult from a pic to tell how thick a tree is but I reckon the cut I proposed could be done with a good set of concave cutters, the branch I suggested cutting to already faces up so not too much wiring involved I would not recommend carving on trident maple the cut should be sealed and prepared for healing.
Craig

yeah i understand how airlayering works but have never done it before, i think its a good idea with this tree to go ahead with it in spring, so with the airlayering do you ring bark the tree at the spot and cut it off just under the ring? then ending up with two trees.
also did you meen cut just above the lowest right hand branch that heads upwards slightly? cheers guys it will be much nice after doing the air layer.

oh and is the leader th branch at the top hehe cheers

The leader is the new branch you take up to form the trunkline continuation.The most important thing with layering is to ensure you remove all the cambium so there is no green at all showing in the cavity. If the tree has any chance to repair itself it will do so. And yes after the new roots have formed you cut the tree below them.
Craig