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Trident Maple Saplings ADVICE from experts

I have recently bought 5 Trident Maple saplings I live in Michigan and I'm in zone 6, it's winter time. I'm looking to turn them into a short fat stubby style of bonsai but, that comes later in life. First I have to keep them alive. [url=https://cgi.ebay.com/5-Trident-Maple-TREES-bonsai-starters-SALE-/290517744699]Here is a link of the description[/url]

When I get them what exactly should I do? I know maple's are outdoor trees spacifically. I have no problem admitting I'm a noob I've always been fascinated with bonsai but, I do have to learn if I want to do this right. Thanks to anyone who replies I appreciate it

-Justin

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I think you are going to have to let them grow out some before you can do anything. Depending on what exactly you want there are several options:

One is to let them grow out in the ground for a year or two, then chop them hard, basically to just under the height you want them to be when finished. I am doing something similar with a whip that was removed as a weed from my boss's garden. It's not a trident, but it is a maple.
A week after the chop:
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v144/JTsoccer59/6-10-10007-1.jpg[/img]
Two weeks later:
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v144/JTsoccer59/6-24-10002-1.jpg[/img]
I intend to make this into a small broom style bonsai.

You could also attempt to fuse multiple trunks, which I would also say you shouldn't try until after one or two years free growth. There used to be a great blog about a guy who used a TON of trident whips, fused together and to a shaped block of wood to create a tree in only a few years which would have taken decades with just one tree. Unfortunately that site has disappeared.

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Thank you for your Immediate response. When I get them in the mail should I put them inside or out. where I live it's unpredictable with the weather currently, right now sometimes it snows sometimes it frost just recently it got to 50 F. My bedroom window is facing east, I also have a window facing north. I'm unsure what to do with these little guys, I don't know if putting them outside right now would hurt them. thank you very much for your advice.

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Justin,

I checked the link you provided and there is a graphic that indicates that the trees are 'Ohio grown' From that I am assuming that you will be getting dormant trees that have no leaves. They may even come bare rooted.

You are going to want to keep them dormant until it spring when you will pot them if necessary or simply put them outside to break dormancy. Do not bring them into your home, they will break dormancy and leaf out. Unless you have an exceptionally well lit southern window (or supplemental lighting) this will likely be too dim, not to mention too dry.

I don't grow Tridents but I seem to recall reading that they are not as cold hardy as some of the other traditional bonsai material. A cold location that does not get too extreme is called for. An attached, but unheated, garage might fit the bill. What options do you have?

Norm

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Thank you also for the detailed information. I live in a mobile home, the modular type. I have no garage. I've searched google and HG, I just can't seem to find out what I do with the maple sapling to keep it alive for this winter I have a non-inclosed porch that has no roof, basically it's just a deck

-Justin

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Justin,
I live in a mobile home, the modular type. I have no garage.
Is there a crawl space under the structure? Dormant deciduous trees have no need for light so don't let that worry you. Do you know if they are coming potted or bare root?

Norm

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I can take a piece of skirting out and put it under the trailer. I think there coming bareroot, where the roots are shaped like a pot but, the pot isn't there right?

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Justin,

Often some, or even all, of the soil is removed to decrease shipping costs. They could come to you either way or in any condition in between. If you wrap the roots in damp long fibre moss and then enclose them in plastic wrap, you should be able to hold them until spring You'll need to keep them cold and make sure they do not dry out. Come spring you can then decide what you are going to do with them.

Norm

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The refrigerator is also an option depending on the size of the saplings and how much room there is in your refrigerator. Also, it depends on what the other people you live with think . :>

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Gnome wrote:Justin,
I live in a mobile home, the modular type. I have no garage.
Is there a crawl space under the structure? Dormant deciduous trees have no need for light so don't let that worry you. Do you know if they are coming potted or bare root?

Norm
It states that they will come without pots for best shipping prices

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What type of lighting equipment would I need to break dormancy? I have reptile heat lamps and such right now. I'm leaning towards breaking dormancy naturally outside but, my main goal is to just keep them alive with whatever I have available. I have Windows available on all sides from North to South and East to West.

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You really wouldn't want to break the dormancy early. If they are dormant when you get them, leave them that way and let nature do the work. deciduous trees need the break in wintertime to survive.

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I trust ya :) So would you also advise that I take Fibre moss and wrap it around the roots then bag it up? After that should I put it under my trailer, I think gnome said that deciduous saplings such as that don't need the light? I'm so sorry I'm asking all these questions Yahoo answers only goes so far you know. I just want to make sure I keep them as comfortable as possible. I'm excited to pot them in spring and just let them grow crazy. Also could someone PM with terminology, I've seen a bunch of acronyms that I'm unsure of what they mean, sorry to drift off topic.

-Justin

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Gnome wrote:Justin,

Often some, or even all, of the soil is removed to decrease shipping costs. They could come to you either way or in any condition in between. If you wrap the roots in damp long fibre moss and then enclose them in plastic wrap, you should be able to hold them until spring You'll need to keep them cold and make sure they do not dry out. Come spring you can then decide what you are going to do with them.

Norm
Is there anything else that I can use instead of fibre moss?

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Justin,
Is there anything else that I can use instead of fibre moss?
The idea is to preserve the moisture in the roots and not expose them to the elements. Regular peat moss, although not ideal as a growing medium, could probably be used for this purpose. Lacking that, conventional potting soil, which is likely mostly peat moss, could also be used. Sand or even Perlite might work as well.

Whatever you choose ensure that it stays damp without being soggy. If you can monitor the temperatures under there it certainly would not hurt either, you want to stay below 40F. If you dip below freezing that should be OK but don't let them get too cold. Apparently Tridents are not as cold hardy as you may have thought. In the future, you may have some difficulty overwintering them safely but you can cross that bridge next fall.

For this year you are going to need to begin researching bonsai soil, which is actually a nismomer as bonsai soil contains no actual soil. Search the forum for more info. We have a thread in the library section that has some good information and links to even more.

Norm

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I just got it about 1 hour ago. It came in a plastic bag filled with soil and it was moist but not soggy I put it in are shed to keep it out of the winds would that be ok for now?

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Justin,
I just got it about 1 hour ago. It came in a plastic bag filled with soil and it was moist but not soggy I put it in are shed to keep it out of the winds would that be ok for now?
You can leave them as they are, bagged I mean, for now. You could even enclose the smaller bag inside of a somewhat larger bag with some moistened, shredded newspaper. I assume the bag that they came in is pretty small, so some more insulation certainly would not hurt.

As far as the shed goes, I'm not certain. You see I don't grow Tridents and I don't know about the particulars of your climate and how cold it gets in your shed. As I've mentioned above, my reading indicates that Tridents are not terribly cold hardy compared to some other species. They definitely need their dormancy but I think that I would err on the side of caution.

I don't know how long they are but you may be able to shelter them inside of a larger container, which in turn, you would place inside the shed. I do something similar with Japanese Maple seeds when I collect them. I have a batch right now outside in the cold garage. But they are inside of a plastic bin burried under 'potting soil' which stays cold and damp. This keeps them moist all winter while moderating any extremes in temperature. Perhaps an old styrofaom cooler and some potting soil could be arranged in a similar fashion. If you go this route the secondary bag probably would not be necessary.

I know that this is getting complicated but buying these in the middle of winter when you were not prepared, or familiar with the species in question, means a little bit of hassle on your part.

Norm

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I have them in the box they came in while still in the plastic bag with soil the shed is about 40 degrees. I'll keep reading about them thanks gnome

-Justin



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