Desprate... trident maple

verrlara

i just purchased a healthy trident maple from a bonsai nusury. i was wondering what i should do with it. should i plant it directly into a bonsai pot or should i change it into a somewhat larger pot that will let it continue to grow and get stronger before doing rot triming and other stuff. i have made some pictures of my trident maple to possibly help you tell if it's ready for a slightly bigger pot, plus it has roots growing out of the bottom of the pot. comparing the pot size to a pencil --> http://tinypic.com/21sbav and this is the full tree http://tinypic.com/21sbnq . i need to know stuff for my shoping list so to say. i have a one gallon pot but i want to know how i can put it in the ground but not kill it when i dig it up later... also what soil is best for trident maple seedlings?

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tuckerg

put it in the ground for a few years to thicken the trunk and roots.a good free draining soil and feed well.

jguyett

Tridents develop trunk size rapidly in the ground, and respond well to root pruning. Fan out your roots when you plant it so that you have a nice radial pattern.

jg

bonsai_audge

I would definitely second (or third) the opinion to plant it in the ground to let it thicken up a bit. Or, if that's not possible, plant it in a larger pot and let it grow grow grow.

If the roots are terrible, beyond being salvageable, then you can try using the hole-in-the-tile technique for developping (almost) flawless nebari. Here is the thread explaining the technique.

-Audric

Aaron_K

Yup, in the ground or a big ol bucket/container for a few years. Place in moderate to full sun position. As its a young tree, give it some partial shade during the midday summer sun, to avoid leaf scorching. Maples like well draining soil too, so make sure you have a good mixture that isn't going to compact too much.

If you root prune it, when planting or repotting it - DO NOT FEED IT for at least 6-8 weeks, as the fertilizer will burn new roots.

Good luck and happy growing!

Regards,

Aaron

verrlara

what soil and size pot should i start this guy off in? i need to make it get alittle bigger or our little dogs will kill it buy trampleing it

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you only get one life, use it well, touch all the things worth touching and see all the wonderful sights worth seeing. one of those sights worth seeing is watching a bonsai grow from seed...

Aaron_K

Hi Verrlara,


If you have dogs, then I would suggest putting it in a pot, that way its off the floor and shouldn't therefore get stepped on. Just put it in a plastic 5 Litre pot that has drainage holes at the bottom. That way it has plenty of room to grow.

As for the soil, 1/3 compost (sieved to remove the dust) 1/3 turface, 1/3 grit or larger grain sand (3mm) should do fine. Basically, as long as it doesn't turn and remain boggy when wet, your tree will grow quite happily in it.

The thing to remember with soil, is that the roots need both water and air in order to survive (unless its a plant adapted to such wet conditions like a swamp cypress or mangrove).

There are some threads on the site regarding soils and soil mixes, so have a read up the different variations if you like.

Good luck,

Aaron

TreeBay

That sounds like inhumane treatment to me. Oh, you meant putting the tree in a pot. I get it. How about using a stake instead? I mean for the tree? Or maybe a steak, for the dog?

If you do need to put it in a pot for training purposes, bigger is better for a fast-growing tree like a trident. Maybe one of those medium size (10 gallon?) plastic 'faux terra-cotta' patio pots to get it up out the dog's line of sight and targeting. With a big pot like that, you can use potting soil, maybe amended a little with orchid bark and/or crushed lava.

Regards,

Matt

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verrlara

thanks aton! lol the dogs are little and they shouldn't bug the plant if it's in a pot, when it gets bigger then i should put it in the ground?