AusBonsai

Gday folks!

Looks like I've got myself a dose of the latest bug, so I have a little time up my sleeve. Thought I'd put up a pictorial history of my collected Trident Maple (Acer buergerianum). From memory, it was collected from a property in Panton Hill in 2003, and when I dug it the roots still formed the perfect shape of the pot it was purchased in (it was obvious that the roots hadn't been properly teased out when it was planted).

I'll be posting mainly photos, so feel free to ask any questions that might arise.

Enjoy!
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I have been fiddling with the Trident over the past few days (unfortunately I didn't get pics before I pruned ) and have put some thread-grafts into place. I'll try to get some photos up before repotting time is upon me.

Thanks.

Fly.

Very nice carving and root work.

Great work Fly, looking realy good!!!

kvan64 wrote:Very nice carving and root work.

Thanks KVan!

I don't think I repotted last year, so I am yet to find out how well the root work has taken.

anttal63 wrote:Great work Fly, looking realy good!!!

Thanks Antonio!

I must admit, looking back at the pics from a couple of years ago, I think I've kinda gone backwards. Have a look at the most recent pics and let me know what you think.
Thanks again.

Fly.

nice stock bri!!

i just have to say you are doing way better than I with tridents, i look at any maple and they start keeling over! lucky it doesnt happen through the computer some might get mad at me for scaring there trees!

i think your virt is acheivable and will come together in time!

jamie

What time of year did you carve did you use wood hardener?

Thanks.

Jamie wrote:i think your virt is acheivable and will come together in time!

Thanks Jamie! If I had some clear idea for this tree (and some Bonsai knowledge) when I collected it, I could possibly have already achieved something similar to the virt. Then again, if I had some Bonsai knowledge back then, I would not have allowed the trunk to get sun burned, and would not have the lower hollow. I like to think that my previous (ongoing?) ignorance has given the tree some character...

Waltron wrote:What time of year did you carve did you use wood hardener?

Gday Waltron! I did the bulk of the carving in July/August, but the timing is neither here nor there, as I did not carve any living tissue. In the case of both the upper and lower hollows, I only carved wood which was previously exposed by die-back (all of which was caused by me, in some way or another). Thus far, I have not used wood hardener or lime sulphur on this tree: there are bits inside the vertical hollow that I cannot reach with my Dremel, so I would prefer that they rot out naturally rather than be preserved in their semi-carved state.

Thanks.

Fly.

Hi Fly
I liked in back at Sept 2007 just with a bit more refinement. Is it just me or is there a Nick Lenz influence with this tree ?

Everything done is to be learned from. Sometimes we kick goals, sometimes we kick points. As long as they all add up in the end! hang in there fella, once you get those grafts off the picture will clear up again. Patience!

Great work and a great post mate

Bougy Fan wrote:I liked in back at Sept 2007 just with a bit more refinement. Is it just me or is there a Nick Lenz influence with this tree ?

Gday Bougy!

Unfortunately, I lost one of my lower branches from that era in the Summer of 2008-09 during a state of mad bushfire panic. Of course, I could have simply re-grown it via a graft, but the loss of the branch made me re-assess the situation and start thinking about a much smaller, more compact finished tree. Funny you should mention Nick Lenz: back in the bonsaiTALK days, I had taken the time to do a Lenzian virt, complete with spooky props...

anttal63 wrote:Everything done is to be learned from. Sometimes we kick goals, sometimes we kick points. As long as they all add up in the end! hang in there fella, once you get those grafts off the picture will clear up again. Patience!

Gday Antonio!

We must learn to walk before we can run, and other feelgood statements... From here on in, I'm hoping to kick straight!

Thanks.

Fly.

Very nice work, I like how you have pics for your steps, cant wait to see it a few years from now and all the coming pics.

Guess I'm lucky up here - usually only hail from summer thunderstorms is an occasional threat from mother nature on my trees. I love the Lenzish virt - have you considered continuing on that path ? You are lucky to have tridents growing so well - I have a few thin starters that just don't want to do anything - guess I must have Jamie's evil eye Having a bit more luck with Japanese maple but still not spectacular. Anyway I love the way it is heading and 6 months ago I would never have considered splitting the trunk like that and creating the basis of the tree - great work Fly !

...and the award for The Most Disappointing Root Growth Over Two Years goes to...

(drum roll)

FlyBri's Hollow Trunk Trident!!!