Bonsaify | Detailed Repot of a Dynamic Trident Maple Bonsai

Join Eric on a fun repot of an exposed root Trident Maple that he started from seed in 2006-7!
00:01:07 Eric has selected a glazed container he made around the same time that he started the tree for the repot. He's excited to finally have a tree for this pot.
00:01:41 Upon review of the roots, Eric sees some roots that don't look super healthy. After the repot he plans to treat the tree with root fungicide and reinoculate with good soil microbes.
00:03:04 Eric explains why he angles the tree to 90 degrees from the work surface as he cuts back the rootball.
00:03:37 Determining the "front" of the pot before Eric places the tree into the container.
00:04:56 Eric discusses how he will pick the angle of the tree as he places it in the pot.
00:06:14 Eric preps the pot to receive the tree.
00:06:34 What do you think of the angle Eric selected?
00:07:21 Another view to the angle - what do you think now?
00:07:53 Eric adds soil and then sphagnum moss to cover a few roots and ensure the tree doesn't dry out. The moss also effectively makes the pot a little deeper.
00:09:06 Watering time! Did you spot the bonsai rainbows?
If you're interested in learning more about trident maples, read this article Eric published in January 2022: Incremental Progress in Trident Maple Bonsai -www.bonsaify.c....
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[@wmarian5027]

Love this maple dryad. My trident maple seedlings are a little hesitant, but they have a much more adventurous future ahead now!

[@sophiaangelini4368]

The Trident is now ready for its triumphant return to Poseidon's place in Mount Olympus'Banquet Hall.

[@matthewwood4008]

Perfect tree/pot combo,don’t sell yourself short on the pot it’s 👍

[@Bonsaify]

Thanks! I do like it!

[@ΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗΤΖΙΝΙΕΡΗ-κ3ζ]

Fantastic tree.

[@CrazyCow500]

Yes! Thank you, Eric. I had a real problem finding good examples of Tridents that weren't formal uprights. This gives me a lot of inspiration.

[@Bonsaify]

I am not a fan of informal upright tank tridents, nor formal uprights. Although I do think sometimes the formal upright two or three-trunk plantings have some interest. If you have not seen Peter Tea's old blog posts re: Tridents from Aichi-en in Nagoya, Japan, you should check them out. Here is the index page: peterteabonsai.wordpress.com/post-index/

[@andersnrregren9087]

Great pot and great tree i love the grow and lift in tall pots you show so offen i think this tree maybe one of the best 20 year old i have seen

[@Bonsaify]

Thanks 👍

[@questionablecooking7019]

Cool story re: making that pot around same time you planted that seed. Let's get this Bonsai.

[@bradleyc9538]

Nice one Eric. Great tree. Fantastic that you grew it from seed- that is something special. Thanks for sharing

[@davidmorgan3508]

Aussie Dave here Eric, wow what a beautiful maple 🍁. Fits perfectly into your glazed pot.. 👍👍👍👌🤗😉

[@fernandodomingo1218]

Tanto el arbol como la maceta eran muy bonitos.El conjunto ha quedado perfecto.Muchas gracias por compartir.Un saludo desde 🇪🇸

[@Bonsaify]

¡Gracias!

[@passionbonsai88]

That' s very unique tree thanks

[@timothyvanheerden8105]

I love this tree. Beautiful!

[@faithgsvlog]

I like the tree, two thumbs up.

[@jessestrong7269]

What a great tree!

[@jkleczewski]

Awesome!

[@eeeealmo]

Some serious girth on a tree only 20 years old. If you remember, can you list the growing methods to get to this point? e.g. was it ever in the ground? Anderson flat, etc.?

[@Bonsaify]

You can see some old details in this photo: phutu.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2013-11-09-09.32.29-1024x891.jpg It was grown in a 4" container, then tilted 90 degrees and exposed roots started, then potted on top of an upside-down gallon can tube, with a basket underneath. Never went into the ground. After the root exposure was largely done I just let the sacrifice go for a few years prior to removing it to concentrate on branch development.

[@9daywonda]

A really gnarly shaped one hey.

[@tomasferreirarubial1455]

👏👏👏

[@carolholt416]

Beutiful!!

[@themichaellerner]

I was impressed by the amount of root you removed, without any apparent concern, and them removed a whole lot more. Is this generally safe to do with all healthy Tridents?

[@Bonsaify]

rock solid, no problem. As long as the tree is healthy you can remove a lot of the roots for sure!

[@DrSticktrick]

Really cool Tree. How did you create this? Is there some sort of method to the madness? Would be great if you could make a video on how to create something like this from seedlings.

[@Bonsaify]

Exposed root magic wand. No really - as a beginner I read a lot of magazine articles about bonsai techniques and I always felt like something was missing. Many of the articles showed progressions over years of work, but it still seemed unreal. I think the idea that things change over time is sometimes hard to grasp.

[@paolomh113]

Hi, isn't the pot too small, horticulturaly? It looks good but I have done similarly with a Japanese quince leaving little gap between turtle trunk and the pot which worry me! Thank u for sharing.

[@Bonsaify]

It's not a pot for creating bulk or girth for sure. But for refining a trident it's good! Also, with exposed root trees (as opposed to informal upright) there is generally less wood in the pot, leaving more room for roots.

[@claudiobernal9535]

Muy bonito ejemplar, una pregunta que mezcla usa para el sustrato, ya que hasta ahora empecé a ver sus videos. Gracias y que el Señor Jesucristo le bendiga.

[@Bonsaify]

Uso dos mezclas diferentes: para un árbol maduro como este, uso sustrato japonés, 40% akadama, 30% lava y 15% Kiryu/arena Para los árboles jóvenes utilizo perlita y fibra de coco.

[@claudiobernal9535]

@@Bonsaify muchas gracias.

[@stephencreswell229]

Im in N.C 7b and have an Amur that's pushing like your trident and I'm not sure if I should repot now and protect it from the cold (bring inside at night) or leave it alone. What do you think?

[@alessandromassimo5717]

repot n protect

[@Bonsaify]

Agreed, repot it immediately and ensure no freezing temps afterward. This is the most common use of greenhouses in bonsai operations in Japan.

[@elroycober3720]

Can you share the name of the biological fungicide?

[@Bonsaify]

In this case I used RootShieldPlus - amzn.to/3gFlYWO However, that's not cheap stuff. And I only used it because I had it available already. In addition to the cost it has a short shelf life. I would recommend that hobbyist bonsai growers acquaint themselves with Subdue Maxx, Orkestra or BanRot, all of which have longer shelf lives and are cheaper. Innoculation with a cheaper product containing Trichoderma may provide the same benefits (or similar). www.arbico-organics.com/category/trichoderma-soil-borne-disease-resistance

[@estherlovesveges]

@@Bonsaify Thanks for sharing.

[@borismaiorov3358]

Thanks for the tips. The reduction on leaf size in trident is one of the things I love about them.

[@Josef_R]

Why not lean it to the left, then nothing is vertical or horizontal?

[@Bonsaify]

Excellent question - but at this stage of development that would mean abandoning many of the branches that I've been developing and I think it would also mean totally regrowing the crown and it would make the tree feel less dynamic.

[@Josef_R]

@@Bonsaify I guess I'm not hindered by "design," I didn't imagine any branches being lost in a left tilt.

[@samyoel5384]

Ever been told you look like a young Richard Dreyfus?

[@Bonsaify]

Uh, no, never heard that. Thanks! (I guess?)