Developing Extra-Large Trident Maple Bonsai

In this video we look at a few extra-large trident maples (Acer buergerianum) and how to keep them in shape.
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[@pnw_mossback]

Peter, this is hands down one of your most inspirational videos thus far. I'm relatively new on my bonsai journey and my 2 year old son likes to play and babble about plants while I work to maintain my garden. Hearing you talk about hoping someone will finish the project when you are gone had me choked me up. God willing, someday these trees I start in my son's youth will pass to him for completion. (Although they're never truly complete) God bless you Peter, I hope you're around for plenty more trunk chops!

[@dewamudita3656]

Mr peter always inspiring me... all great job... Regards from Bali- Indonesia

[@3apa3a4eva]

Those are amazing trunks! Peter, I have not forgotten about your e-mail - caught up in work at the moment. Will write back as soon as I have a moment to concentrate. Cheers!

[@SwanSong1234]

Thank You for showing these amazing trees. You reiterate it takes years , patience & love to help them grow into their beauty. Just like ourselves a work in progress. I always enjoy watching your videos ❣️ Take care 🕊

[@MelissaM83]

Please keep taking pictures of you with your trees!!! What a cool set of pictures to have!

[@haroldwilliams9722]

It’s so good seeing you!

[@Teresa-ih4sn]

Beautiful as always Sir Peter!

[@sabbigill1]

Awesome Peter As always Love you and love what you do for us to learn 👍😀😘😘👌👌

[@Blaydrnnnr]

That massive Trident has given me, maybe, an idea of what I might try to do to one of my tridents, that has had me perplexed for a few years now. It has 3 trunks, and I havent been able to think of how to do a seriously radical pruning and restyling with it, but after looking closely at that massive trident you have, I think I may cut two of the trunks drastically short, and start trying to regrow new branches from the short trunks. ( This appears to be what was done to the massive tree at some point, the side trunk looks to have been cut at one point, letting new branches grow out to create taper and shape ) This would give me a tall trunk in the middle, and shorter trunks on the sides, and regrowing branches from the cut trunks, would give me a more defined shape. Something I need to look at. Thanks for the showing of this tree....

[@chriscastleman1781]

Those tridents you imported in 93 was the year I was born :)

[@shozabali26]

feels like a privilege to witness u and ur bonsais ..love u

[@MidniteSan]

Love those big tridents ❤️...all healthy and thriving. Thx for sharing Peter 👍👍👍..awesome

[@rsa420]

Those are stunning love the root bases. Anyone would be so happy to have them in their collection

[@getintothewildwithjeffruma8777]

I have several large trident maples I have been developing for about 8 years now. I plan on digging them up early spring of next year and putting them in pots on my channel. After seeing yours I can’t wait 👍

[@bonsaied240]

Hi peter, i bought some trident and deshojo maple seeds last year. I Just posted an update video of their progress, they are doing and looking great . Thanks for sharing the wisdom of your experience, it has already proved valuable.

[@roberthannigan4382]

Those are amazing trees! thanks for the video and information.

[@giulianolovato5859]

Hi Peter, you are telling in your video you tell that Trident is really hard to propagate by cuttings, but since the past few years that I have been following you I have been propagating my Trident you helped me re pot last December in a on line call and I think I have achieved around 30 new plants from cuttings the size of a match Giuliano from Verona

[@peterchan3100]

Very good.

[@carmensantiago6711]

This is bonsai heaven!!!🌳

[@rominaf.8545]

Excellent Peter! wonderful trees and the work of years...as you said, many years of fun :)

[@ashleymcmillin3023]

Absolutely beautiful!

[@mame6508]

❤️❤️❤️ you make me feel alive

[@Blaydrnnnr]

I was surprised by your comment as well Peter, about difficulty growing tridents from cuttings. I have actually got, a the moment, TOO many trident cuttings. I tend to be greedy when pruning and plant MANY of the cuttings from my tridents, and have WAY too many now in small planting pots. I don't seem to have much of a problem. If I had to give a number, I would say I am successful with about 75 - 80% of the cuttings I plant. I am very congested on my bonsai bench at this time.

[@andrewclack4881]

should you wish to rid yourself of them I am at your service 🤣🤣🤣

[@peterchan3100]

Do you use hormone rooting medium,?

[@Blaydrnnnr]

Sorry this took so long to reply. Yes. I use rooting hormone, and my blended soil.

[@thebonsaiarea]

beautiful trees thanks for sharing

[@ChrisPuch]

Thanks Peter, i love your work.

[@veganpullingpower6]

I bought 2 small tridents from herons well worth it both have been in Peters videos 😁

[@nigeloni7094]

How much did they cost you?

[@veganpullingpower6]

@@nigeloni7094 good price only 2 small ones he had left

[@donaldslovey338]

Beautiful trees

[@eyeye_agent]

#1 fan

[@yopage]

What is more satisfying than having 40-year-old bonsai trees you have raised this way?

[@tysteyn6885]

I guess having 40 year old people that you've raised? Or is that disappointing..

[@bigbrobunny]

@@tysteyn6885 🤣

[@murray821]

@@tysteyn6885 look at the Nebari in my sons leg!

[@bonsaibythesea]

Tridents of plenty

[@cbrusharmy]

What a great "jungle" to be in!

[@gamer1672]

Man i wish i could get one of your trees here in the US.Awesome trees!

[@sunfresh79]

So good WOW

[@walterwjr947]

Dr. Chan, thank you for welcoming us to your home... I am honored, sir... 😔🙏😔 As always the video was very informative and enlightening. How can an American arrange to continue providing the environment required by one or more of these ultimate examples of the Bonsai Art?

[@peterchan3100]

Keep practicing on your bonsai - buy one or two good ones and have patience. But most of all enjoy what you do.

[@M31glow]

Peter, is there a way to encourage nebari on one side of Trident Maple that does not have any close to the surface roots? Great Post!!!

[@bigbrobunny]

I watched a video Peter did with a rather one sided rooted tree and he re-potted using Sphagnum moss on that side to encourage more roots to grow.

[@M31glow]

@@bigbrobunny, I'll try to find that episode. I have a trident that only has roots on one side, and the other, which is the better side of the overall tree, is devoid of roots. Thanks for the info

[@svaughn1822]

@@M31glow you can also do root grafting using seedlings which works well.

[@peterchan3100]

You can graft a young trident seedling to make it into a root. Or more.

[@walterwjr947]

All respect to Dr. Chan, he has spoken here, but I will add my penny. IBA and Spagnum would give the greatest root propogation in the shortest time. Leaning the tree to the opposite side will enhance root proposition also. Well that's two pennies.

[@Ollieslife101]

🌴🌵🌳🌺🌲🌳🌺🌲🌳🌺🌲🌳🌺🌲🌵🌴 Hello here from good old Michigan USA. Dang Peter I wish I could afford one of those big trident maples haha (one day) i love big bonsai.. I got a huge acient olive that has about a 10 inch nabari that taken very very well to its pot about 4 years ago, haha crazy i know! I don't know what I'm gonna do when it comes to repotting next year any suggestions? Maybe I'll take it to my local bonsai house and see if they will help me... I call the Olive tree my "dinosaur foot" lol...love you Peter ur such an inspiration

[@SubjectiveFunny]

I worry about who will look after these trees in the far future. This is a life's work, it will take many lifetimes to continue this journey.

[@lokdog257]

How do you prevent inverse tapper? I cut the top of my maple, and more shoots sprang from the top. I decided to let them grow to strengthen the tree, only it started making a bulge at the top. When you make a new leader, do you just trim off any growth from that area? Thank you Also, how long should you wait before cutting the leader for tapper?

[@bozbozman1575]

I believe it is bulging due to having too many shoots in one spot. Cut down to one

[@pansepot1490]

I think the rule is, if it’s the top leave just one, to create ramified branches leave two. You cut the leader when it’s thick as you want it to be. Then you let another shoot from the top grow and cut it back before it gets as big as the portion below. Each new portion you add must be thinner than the preceding one. The exact size depends on the aesthetic results you want. The process can take years. There’s plenty of videos on how to create taper on KZbin if you want more info and visuals. :)

[@lokdog257]

@@pansepot1490 thank you. I've been binge watching bonsai videos the past couple of months, but doing it is very different from watching masters work

[@peterchan3100]

If you already have inverse taper, you can carve it to make it look better. To get good taper takes patience. Leave the new leader for 3 or 4 years to get thick before cutting it down to encourage another new leader to grow.

[@soberhippie]

3:00 Is it growing in ANY soil at all?

[@ajitkumarsingh825]

It’s 12:30 am in India .I am tired .to refresh myself I decide to watch this video which refresh and rejuvenate my neurones….

[@Alepoudiitsa]

when will the maple seeds start to be evelebel for purches, seens i lost all my maple seedling this year from heat i will like to try again.

[@katbonsai0]

Hi Mr chan, how much would one of those maples cost.. Thank you for all you tutorials I came to bonsai late in life

[@peterchan3100]

High thousands

[@dbe2705]

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 thanks Peter

[@mariapilarme]

My maple tree produced a trident leave branch, why is that?

[@Stettafire]

My best guess. Either it wasn't a trident to begin with 😅 or it was a trident grafted onto the maple and the rootstock is growing up?

[@makewithmegma]

🔥💕👌👍

[@jomy7031]

How high of NPK do you use when you fertilize ?

[@peterchan3100]

You can use a high N fertiliser in Spring upto 20 N. But in late summer use a low N feed about 10 N.

[@Daihatsu_Hijet]

🍁

[@benneb663]

oh jah!

[@dogukaraman6167]

🌱🌲🤩

[@Just1Nora]

I have a question Peter, I want to start growing bonsai again, but our yard, or garden at the British call it, is a foraging spot for the local herd of whitetail deer. They eat literally everything they can including our holly bushes, and I can only imagine how unpleasant that is. My dad and I purchased a few woody hibiscus a few years ago and the deer actually climbed up on to our wooden deck to eat the poor things down to the soil within 48 hrs, needless to say they did not survive. We do have a sunroom on the back of the house. It's heated and cooled with the rest of the house, but it's probably the only place that's safe from the deer. Could I try to raise them there and winter them in my unheated garage?

[@peterchan3100]

We have 3 deer which roam our nursery but they dont eat any of the Maple leaves. They forage on grass and pine shoots.

[@Just1Nora]

@@peterchan3100 What about juniper and desert rose? I'm concerned that the desert rose would be instant deer food and I worry anything small is at risk. They can get inside tomato cages. We've tried that. I also want to take some cuttings from my neighbor's Japanese maple and she has agreed. It sounds like that would be safe. What is the best time of year? I have rooting hormone. Our deer have lost most of their land to deforestation, so there are about a dozen who browse in our garden. We don't grow grass, but there are plenty of acorns from mature oaks, oak saplings, and other unkempt flowering landscaping shrubs. One to four deer usually sleep in front of our house and a few more bed down with their fawns in the back, and my dad talks to them daily so they don't run. Suburban deer are strange in the USA. My neighbor and her kids hand fed them carrots for a while, but we discouraged that for obvious reasons. Thanks for your response!

[@Stettafire]

Id suggest you post to the bonsai Reddit page as well, there may be people who can help you there. I think most of the guys there are American also

[@markadenielle1477]

soooo biiigggg

[@kimbartley9557]

How old was this maple back in the 80s?

[@peterchan3100]

Could have been a seedling..

[@jacobkomnath7961]

haha, look at the strapping young man

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@arnopienaar8111]

My fout is ,elke dag kyk ek na my bome ,miskien moet em hul los vir 30 jaar ,soos by Herons ,onkruid raak net bitjie baie🤣😅😅😂

[@mulatokudzava7797]

Peter, if you ever drive to the Czech Republic, the plates on your fancy car, reading "PIICHA", will have two meanings, and none of them is nice... Just saying...

[@peterchan3100]

What is the bad meaning - I want to know! Ha Ha !

[@jamesa7506]

@@peterchan3100 haha naughty naughty!

[@tskygarden8162]

That's great 👍 .. Joined you . Stay connected my friend . Let's grow together 🇮🇳🇮🇳♥️♥️

[@johnheckles8239]

Oh I do wish I had the space (and space in my accounts 🫣) to own one of these.. My absolute favourites.. The trident maple.. Just stunning 😍🫠

[@Stettafire]

I'm growing a maple in a pot on a small patio area :)