TRIDENT MAPLE (Acer buergerainum)

 

 

Description

The Trident Maple (Acer buergerianum) is an oriental deciduous tree. It is very tolerant to pollution, which is why it is often grown in cities and towns.
The leaves each have three lobes, which have smooth edges. They are reddish in the spring, turning to green in the summer and orange to yellow in the autumn.
The trunk is thick when mature, and the bark peels in a similar way to the plane tree, thus exposing orange areas underneath.
However although the Trident maple is considered hardy it will need frost protecting in the winter due to its roots having a high moisture content. Frost protection can be accomplished in many ways, either by keeping it in a green house, which has frost protection, or by burring it in a large container, which is deep with a layer of straw and leaves over it. Another way to protect it is to cover the entire tree in Fleece tm, which can be purchased from any good garden centre.

Bonsai Requirements

Outside the Trident Ample needs an open sunny position that is shaded from the sun at the hottest part of the day. Wind or breezes are very beneficial to enable the leaves to become strong and resistant to disease.

Soil Mixture

The soil should be porous mixture such as 3 parts akadama tm or John Innes No 3 tm, 1 part sand and 1 part compost. Other combinations can be used so long as they are porous.

Root Pruning

Trident Maple will benefit from root pruning every 1 to 2 years.

Watering

Due to the unusually strong root growth, the Trident Maple requires a lot of water through the growing season. The water should ideally be low in salts, such as rainwater or soft water. The best way to water bonsai's is to totally immerse the tree and pot in water so that the water rises up above the pot, this allows the air bubbles to be displace by water.

Fertiliser

Fertiliser should be applied every week for a month after the first leaves have appeared then every two weeks until the autumn, do not feed in the winter. Any soluble or solid fertiliser can be used and the general npk values can be 1:2:3, although these may differ depending on the type of tree and its age. If in doubt always consult an expert bonsai nursery.

Bonsai Styles

Trident Maple can be grown in any style except broom. This is an ideal tree for root over rock planting due to its vigorous web like root structure.

Wiring

One to two year old branches can be wired very easily whereas older branches will need to be pulled into the required shape using tension wire, as they can be brittle. The branches can thicken very quickly so they should be checked regularly to prevent the wire from cutting into the bark.

Pruning

Larger branches need to be pruned in early spring after the first spring growth so that they can heal quickly provided that you use a good wound sealant. Prune back new shoots to the second set of leaves to encourage branching.
Leaf pruning to encourage finer branching and smaller leaves needs to be carried out in May.

Obtaining Plants

Seed's can be purchased from any good seed supplier, such as Chiltern Seeds. Older plants tend to be available from some bonsai specialist. Cuttings can be taken quite easily.