Care Guide Trident Maple

Bonsai
Trident Maple
Care Guide
ACER BUERGERIANUM
MiKo
Bonsai
The Trident Maple is a relative of the more popular Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum), but differs by its 3-lobed leaves.
Native to Korea, China and Japan, Trident Maples can reach heights of 10 metres or more in their natural environment.
Leaves are dark-green above and blue-green underneath, turning beautiful shades of orange and red in Autumn. New buds are a
reddish brown in colour. There are both smooth and rough bark varieties.
Trident Maples are very vigorous trees, ideally suited for field growing to develop large trunks,
Position
Trident Maples are not suitable for indoor growing!
Position in full sun, but provide light shade for weak-rooted specimens during hot summer periods to avoid leaf scorch. Heavy
trunk Trident maples in shallow bonsai pots may dry quickly during the Summer and should also be provided with some shade
from the afternoon sun.
Roots have a high moisture content and are susceptible to frost damage. Frost protection should be given when temperatures
drop below -5° C, as the repeated cycle of waterlogging, freezing and thawing will damage the roots.
Watering
Keep soil evenly moist. Check daily, especially during hot or windy weather. Small trees or those in small pots may need watering
twice a day during the height of summer. Leaves will scorch easily if insufficient water is given during hot and windy spells.
Feeding
Feed once a week for the first month after leaves appear in the Spring to help strengthen new growth. Feed every two weeks with
a balanced fertiliser for the remainder of the growing season. Use a high potash fertiliser from September to help strengthen the
roots for the winter. .
Repotting
Annually as buds extend. Use a very free-draining soil mix. Tridents have very strong and vigorous root growth and are tolerant of
aggressive root pruning.
Pruning
Allow new growth to extend to 2-5 leaf pairs, then prune back to one or two pairs of leaves throughout the growing season.
Pay particular attention to vigorous shoots in the apex and upper branches to stop them becoming too thick. thereby weakening the
lower and inner branches. Continued pruning of these apical areas will distribute vigour throughout the tree.
Prune all branches back hard after leaf-fall or in late Winter. Any major pruning or trunk chops should also be carried out while the
tree is dormant, in order to prevent excessive bleeding and sap loss.
Trident Maples are suitable for defoliation and leaf pinching . With defoliation and increased ramification of the branches, leaf-size
can be reduced dramatically.
Wiring
Wire in early spring, but keep a close eye on the wired branches as the branches thicken quickly and the bark marks easily.
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, caterpillars, scale insects and mites. Treat infestations with a proprietary insecticide as soon as detected.
Tip
Trident Maples are easy to propagate from Softwood cuttings in Summer or Hardwood cuttings in Winter. You will get suitable
material during routine pruning, so why not try and raise some trees of your own.