Summer Pruning Tips TRIDENT MAPLE Bonsai Owners Need to Know!

[@rtregear]

Thanks! I wish I could buy BioGold. No dealers in Australia. I got one bag from Japan but that was just an expensive experiment. I wonder though if any fertilizer from the garden center would be good enough. When you add "bonsai" as an adjective to anything the price goes way up.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

You are spoiling me again Roger but thank you!!! I thought if i put Bonsai in front of my videos it would have the same effect...but alas no :)

[@misupport6735]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat 😆

[@rtregear]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat I appreciate the effort you put into getting videos available for all to watch. I know you enjoy it (well, most of it) but the bonsai education benefits to me, and all viewers, are huge so I'm happy to make a small contribution to that from time to time. Given the amount of material you produce, it's just a few cents per hour of education and that's great value. Many thanks.

[@carolewald5075]

Thanks! Great refresher on pruning tridents.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thank you for that Carole - I feel like I am finally beuilding the knowledge and confidence to develop these properly. Autumn will be when I next get my cutters out to them :)

[@danielfonseca5007]

Have been following your Trident tutorials and the last one I did is a little kabudachi. And right now (winter in Australia) it looks like 3 dead sticks in a pot, but once the growing season comes and the new shoots extend from that very tight structure it will be stunning 😊. This long term approach really works, it's just hard as you say going back to bare bones when they look so nice, but then the next season when you see the multiple levels of short internodes it is so satisfying!😊

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

You are so right. Tridents always give you more chances it is just about being patient :)

[@nerinat8371]

So many good instructions in this video Xavier.. so much to learn but can't wait to start snipping.. thanks again Xavier

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Far too generous with your compliments Nerina - we all love to snip

[@TOMSAI]

Very Good work xav. And 2 nice Trident mapels ! I like this trees . 👌 Cheers 🍻

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thanks Tom - lots of work to do on these yet :)

[@phillipwaterman5721]

Very nice bonsai s beautiful trees looking good xavier keep up the good work mate thanks

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thanks for your long term support Phillip

[@notionbonsai]

Great pruning decisions Xavier, always thinking long term! Love it!!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thinking 'long term' means i can make excuses for why the tree looks so bad 'short term':)

[@osmanmx]

Excellent work, congratulations Xavier. In the last trident tree, I would have used the apex to graft the first branch. And the roots emerge on a beautiful rock (I don't cut them) Best regards 👍🏽

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

That's an interesting idea - still lots of building to do with that monster :)

[@MrTsBonsai-ease-s8k]

Hello Xav... I got gifted a Trident from Heron's today for my 50th! ... it'll need some work but I'm nervous to be as bold as you have been...

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Make sure it is healthy first...then it will be fine with whatever you chose to do

[@sueb1317]

Still amazes me how much the leaves have reduced on your tridents. Do you use a similar technique on any of your other deciduous trees? I think the direction of the last tree will be easier to see in autumn when the leaves have dropped - easier to tell if major branches are crossing the front. You should have no problem re-growing!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I use the same technique on all my deciduous. Combination of pruning, semi defoliation and leaf cutting :)

[@joegarland4885]

Good long term pruning my friend. I am going to do something different, I am putting myself in the mind of the tree and think to myself, I spend all freezing winter making sure that I stay alive in the first place but also healthy with loads of good juicy buds so when the weather gets better I can throw out some great beautiful leaves so I look full and healthy !! Then this bloke comes along and cuts all or most of my beautiful leaves off, what’s all that about, somebody take those things he cuts my leaves with OFF HIM or I am not going to bother next winter and see how he likes that when it warms up and Im DEAD. don’t have any Tridents but I am sure the pruning applies to all maple species. I am not a great lover of exposed roots Xav unless they’re wrapped round a rock. Is that brutal enough. .Have fun my friend.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I loved your view today and the more brutal the better. Liking the roots may just be another way to show I am 'at a loss' with what to do next...but don't tell anybody :)

[@misupport6735]

I think the last tree is charming. I would remove that one bended root though.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I agree that I need to look at the roots more.

[@danielfonseca5007]

With that last tree, I'd wire up the highest branch and pull it up. And since you are now a master of thread grafting you could put another branch on that side mid height in between the other two

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I think you maybe right about the threat graft option. Cheers

[@DavesBonsai]

Great looking tree my friend:

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Cheers dave - i am still very jealous of your field grown pines :)

[@raymondbirds2392]

Lovely job

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thanks Raymond

[@oachkatzlsmum]

Love your pruning instructions! Trident in big trouble: Indeed a challenge. I would have cut quite similar and would hope for backbuding. Probably for one year. Rethinking if not successful. I try to do the same with my Chinese elm. Meanwhile unfortunately still not own a trident maple myself. Maybe it is possible to buy some of your rooted cuttings or even a smaller tree? Enjoy your day. Cheers, Martina

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I'm sure we could arrange something Martina :)

[@oachkatzlsmum]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat I would love to

[@trybonsai]

Great video my friend 🎉🎉

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thank you

[@markjagger7139]

Great video and some super informative content, thanks Xav as always.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I appreciate you watching Mark

[@ishamakkusu]

Lovely little tree. Do you apply the same branch/bud selection technique to field maples?

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Exactly the same method to all my maples. It seems to work well.

[@treesbonsaiperfect8420]

nice work thanks for sharing this video❤🌳

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

My pleasure - some of these are starting to become good trees

[@maryoverton7245]

your last trident, (exposed roots) what if you buried the roots and since you cut back that top apex concentrated on a shohin broom style tree. I know the trunk has a curve, but I think it might suit it better

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

That's a good suggestion mary - thank you

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Great video xav 👊👊

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thanks Andy

[@mick681]

I think that I would plant the last tree in the ground and leave it for a couple of years to grow freely. Once the trunk had thickened a bit more cut the top off and go for a fat stumpy tree.

[@scheers100]

That is exactly what I would do. One or two years could be enough to heal the wounds on the trunk and regrowing the apex.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

That's the best bit of advice and reaffirms what has been in my mind for a few years. Thank you :)

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

That seems to be best answer :)

[@oachkatzlsmum]

Second is fine as well 😂😘

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

The second one is slowly growing on me...so to speak :)

[@oachkatzlsmum]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat now I blush ☺️ thank you

[@simonbremner2707]

✌

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

A big hello to Simon :)

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Cheers Bruce

[@notionbonsai]

First!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thank you Adam :)

[@trybonsai]

I'd leave it and develop it as is, and put it over a rock... Creating a tree that's been to hell and back

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I definitely think that one is going to go back into a nursery bed for a few years and see what 'it' decides to do :)

[@t3dwards13]

My comment is that I know my opinions are meaningless. Lol

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thanks for that insight :)