Trident Maple (Acer Buergerianum) Care Sheet
TRIDENT MAPLE
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Tips and Tricks for Caring for Your Trident Maple Tree |
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Trident Maples are one of the most popular deciduous trees used in bonsai. In the spring, their leaves grow in an opposite pattern. Their leaves change from green to yellow to orange to red throughout the year. |
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PLACEMENT
Trident Maples like a sunny, airy place where they are protected from the scorching summer sun rays. Full sun will help your tree to be more colorful and successful. These are outdoor bonsai and cannot be grown indoors. Protect from temperatures below 23° F. More established trees need more protection during the summer and winter. The ideal zone for Trident Maples is zone 5. TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY Trident Maples prefer full sun and should be kept outdoors year-round. In the winter, protect carefully from cold temperatures and frost. The roots of Trident Maples have a higher-than-average moisture content, so they will freeze more easily. WATERING Trident Maples consume a lot of water during the growing season. While Trident Maples are more drought-tolerant than other maple species, they still need to be watered consistently. During the hottest days of summer, make sure to water daily. SOIL/FERTILIZER Our Deciduous Bonsai Soil Mix is perfect for your Trident Maple as it contains Akadama, Pumice, and Lava. During growing season, fertilize once a month with a solid organic fertilizer, such as our Maintain or Push pellets, or every week with a liquid. When your Trident Maple is young, use a fertilizer high in nitrogen, like our Push Fertilizer Pellets. REPOTTING Trident Maples should be repotted every two or three years in the early spring. Their roots grow strongly and can be intensively pruned. PROPAGATION Trident Maples can be grown from seeds, cuttings, or air layers. Gather cuttings in early spring, as they will root easily. PRUNING Pruning depends on the development of your tree. Allow new shoots to grow on your Trident Maple until they have grown several leaf pairs and then shorten to just one pair. Spring is a good time to prune because Trident Maples grow strongly right before budding. Prune large branches or trunks in the summer when any cut wounds start to heal immediately. You can balance the growth of the tree by pruning the top more, as the top grows stronger branches than lower ones. Leaf pruning can be done midsummer to reduce the leaf size. Do not prune leaves every year - the leaves store energy for the dormant season. WIRING Trident Maples can be wired at any time. It is best to use aluminum wire. The branches are brittle and need to be protected from wire damage. Trident Maples grow quickly, and wire can cut into and scar the bark. Wiring is best done on young growth and should be removed from the tree the same season it was wired. Guy wires can be used to position more rigid, older branches. PESTS/DISEASES Trident Maples can suffer from root rot when the tree is overwatered. Chlorosis can occur when watered frequently with hard water. Seal all wounds immediately to prevent verticillium and other harmful fungi from infecting the tree. |
PRODUCTS |
Deciduous Bonsai Soil Mix KIKU™ Aluminum Training Wire Kikuwa Cut Paste - 160G Jar Fertilizer Pellets |
