2014 September Demonstration - Trident Maples

Peter presented a very interesting and informative discussion on growing small Trident Maples and focussing on the things you enjoy doing with your bonsai. Make good use of your time and focus on quality rather than quantity. He talked about how bonsai in Japan differs from what currently happens in Australia and some good spots for collecting seeds.

When developing root over rock styles with Tridents, Peter prefers to bundle the roots into three bunches and then tightly wires the roots to the rock with aluminium wire. With tree development, the first priority is to get the roots to grow followed by shaping, taper and fine internodes. Annual repotting and root trimming is applied during this development period which also includes aggressive pruning of the trunk and branches. Peter reminds us they are tough trees!! This pruning always occurs in the context of the preferred future style for the tree. When the tree reaches the advanced stage, defoliation is regularly used together with astute bud selection to develop fine ramification. For dealing with wounds, Peter suggests clean and sharp tools, making the bigger cuts early in the tree life, sealing them well, cleaning the edges to remove any crushed material and gentle scraping and re-application of sealer from time to time to stimulate the growth.