Trident Maple Bonsai- Acer Buergerianum
I love the Trident Maple. Another forgiving tree that doesn’t mind if you cut off every branch! In fact many of the prize examples have started as ‘cut stumps’. They already have a great root growth and a massive trunk. All they need is new branches 🙂
They are apically dominant which means you need to keep pruning to avoid lots of strong upward growth ruining the shape. As with other maples they throw out new buds easily. It is also a good tree for air-layer propagation.
| Position | Pruning / Repot | Feeding / Water | My Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Full sun - no suncream required. Larger Tridents may require more water if in shallow pots. Always check in warmer weather. Frost protection when temperatures drop below -5°C. I keep my tridents in the greenhouse through winter.
|
REPOTTING: Annually as buds start to enlarge. I use a free-draining inorganic mix. Tridents are tolerant of aggressive root pruning. PRUNING: Allow new growth to extend to 2-5 leaf pairs and then prune back to one or two pairs of leaves (depending on a position on tree) throughout the growing season.
Keep on top of the most vigorous shoots at the apex. We want that energy lower down!
Prune all branches back hard after leaf-fall or late Feb. Never do hard prunes in spring due to high sap loss.
Trident Maples are suitable for defoliation and leaf pinching. |
Feed: Once leaves have appeared to promote growth - dependant on what you want from the tree. Watering: Water moderately in summer, easing off in winter. Beware watering too much in winter as the roots are vulnerable to frost. |
Propogation: Air-layer in May/Jun. Hardwood cuttings in Winter, softwood cuttings in Summer. Trident Maples backbud easily and continually, it can be worth waiting for an appropriate bud to start developing before resorting to grafting. Wiring: Be Careful as the bark marks easily and branches thicken quickly. |
Pruning and Developing Trident Maple as Bonsai
Everybody loves Trident Maple Bonsai and today I am going to start pruning and rectifying structural flaws. I purchased this in 2017 for £20 and it comes with many of the faults you associate with mass imports. However, what will I do with it…
Is it TOO late to repot my Rootbound Trident Maple Bonsai? (Late Spring)
In this continuation, I do a careful repot of my Trident Maple Bonsai. Viewers warned this may some cause distress! I also feature more of your photographs before pruning two other Trident Maple Bonsai. (I do not advocate repots of this nature so please do not copy this unless you are confident).
External References & Links:
https://www.bonsaiempire.com/tree-species
http://bonsai4me.com/species_guide.html
http://www.herons.co.uk
