New Tridents

Wed May 23, 2012 10:19 pm

I recently discovered a "Mother" Trident Maple right across the street and this year, I think because of the mild Winter it had a bumper crop of seeds.
I harvested a bunch, stuck them in to the dirt and here's the result.

I'm guessing I've got about 90% germination rate on these cuties and some are still germinating. With Maple, freshness is the key. They came off the tree and into the soil.

Thu May 24, 2012 4:31 pm

Nice tridents! I wish a more wide variety of deciduous trees grew wild in my area. Mainly alot of eucalyptus, and palm trees here.

Thu May 24, 2012 6:32 pm

Yeah, the deciduous trees like maple, need cold dormancy in winter, so don't grow well in zone 9-10.

WOW! That is indeed a BUNCH of maple seedlings. Assuming that you really don't want that many trees, you might be able to make a little $$ growing them out 2-3 years and selling them as pre-bonsai.

Thu May 24, 2012 9:12 pm

not to be a downer but those are not trident maples, silver or sugar maybe ,but tridents have leaves with 3 distintive lobes those look to have 5. theyre like weeds around here ill pull 20 a day out of my garden. for weeks ...i do find some that missed my eye or snuck under the hedges that grow and i train them in the ground were they are

Thu May 24, 2012 9:27 pm

manofthetrees wrote:not to be a downer but those are not trident maples, silver or sugar maybe ,but tridents have leaves with 3 distintive lobes those look to have 5. theyre like weeds around here ill pull 20 a day out of my garden. for weeks ...i do find some that missed my eye or snuck under the hedges that grow and i train them in the ground were they are

Not at this stage of growth they don't. I will post when they have 2 or three more leaf sets and you will see the 3 lobes "appear".
As I said I harvested them personally off the mother tree and it's a Trident.
After 40 years doing this I know a Trident when I see one.

Thu May 24, 2012 9:33 pm

well thats news to me :oops:

.pretty cool were exactly are you lacated iv never seen a full size trident just as bonsai

Thu May 24, 2012 10:48 pm

I live in South Jersey, outside of Philly and there are many full sized Tridents in our area. I would think that they could occur naturally in NY state. Surprised that you have never seen a full sized one. I will have to check on that. Your Winters are quite cold and I'm not sure how hardy they are that far north.
BTW, I have Sugars, Silvers, Swamp and Norways growing on my property. Some of which will grow well up into Vermont and New Hampshire. Just not sure about the Tridents.

Rainbowgardener, I will probably give many of them away in the Spring after they've had a year to grow and then a Winter to harden off. I don't sell these things. It's my hobby, you know?
A couple of years ago and guy living in Oregon over-heard me talking on a forum(might have been this one) about wanting some Zelkova. He got with me and told me he had access to some and would I like some seedlings. I said sure and he sent me close to 200 little tiny seedlings wrapped up in one paper towel. That's how tiny they were! I carefully pulled them apart and planted them and I've had close to 100% success in growing them out.
I think that when you put out good Karma you get the same in return. Norm and I have traded some plants back and forth. I think I even sent him some Trident seeds and some U parvifolia seeds.
So anyway, for that reason I would never sell plants. We'll see how these guys do and probably offer them around either in the early Fall or next Spring.

Thu May 24, 2012 11:38 pm

I would think that they could occur naturally in NY state

i think its too cold ive lost whips when i first stated bonsai because of the wind so i gave up on them . we are zone 5 moving toward 6 lately i guess they just can't get a foothold. have to keep an eye out next time i travel south . we do have something close in the srtiped maple the leaves are three lobed but huge.

Fri May 25, 2012 1:07 am

Ok, so you're up there between the Finger Lakes. Yes, it really gets cold up there, but you should be able to have success with Tridents if you give them protection during the Winter. Even down here I put a lot of my trees in the garage and unheated shed each Winter. When they drop leaves I keep a close watch on the weather parameters and start to move the more delicate plants into the protected areas.

Fri May 25, 2012 1:23 am

Tridents, Amurs, Palmatums, all will do just fine to zone 5/6 NY/NJ, they just might need (Tridents and some Palmatum cultivars) a little mulch is all in 5. Mine are out mostly unprotected. Can't tell on all of the seedlings, but there are a few that are, quite clearly, Tridents and look nothing like sugars or silvers or norways to me, but possibly could be mistaken for amurs or reds (no closeups is hard). The "weed" maples in NY aren't sugars, BTW, they're Norways. Try and tap one, you'll see.

Fri May 25, 2012 2:22 am

would love to get my hands on some young tridents. I was at Allshapes a couple weekends ago in Ringoes, NJ and he had some youngens priced at $25 and said they won't be ready for another week or 2 since he just repotted them.

If there are any wild ones down by you, it'd be even nicer to air layer some thick ones

Fri May 25, 2012 2:38 am

What size pots? $25 is a little steep for Trident starter material around Ã‚Â½" or less. Meehan's and/or Wee Tree both have Tridents in 4" and 6" pots at ~Ã‚Â½" for about $20 (or less).

Fri May 25, 2012 8:58 am

I'm in the hills above the Mohawk Valley south of Utica, NY. Trident maples (and Japanese) do not survive our winters in the ground. If potted they must be brought into a shed or garage and frequently moved in and out to protect from early and late frosts. It gets frustrating at times but we get used to it. Love these trees.

Early this spring I put some of Bill Valavanis' trident whips into the ground (anyway) knowing that I will have to pull them back out again this fall and pot them up. A club member did this prior to using his for a forest group and he got great results. He did this - placing his group in his garden for the growing seasons, then back into a training pot for the off-season in a sheltered shed - over 3 years. Now his forest is planted on a large slab and is easily removable for seasonal care. It is awesome!

Fri May 25, 2012 1:32 pm

What zone is that? Sounds like a zone 4/5 cusp kind of thing.

Fri May 25, 2012 2:33 pm

I would say that in that environment it would be better to grow them out in a large tub/pot that can be transported into a protected area in the Spring and Fall when the temps. get tricky. Here, in Jersey the weather is much more forgiving and it's not as critical as upstate NY.
I know that I could have left them out this past Winter with little protection(not seedlings but the ones I've been working for a few years) because we had such a mild Winter. I just feel that if you have the room in a garage or shed it's much safer overall to just put them in there for the Jan.-mid March time frame.
I will take more pics. after 2 or three more leaf sets pop just to satisfy the skeptics in the crowd.

linlaoboo, do you live north or south of Ringoes?