Ml_work

I purchased a Trident Maple on my trip last month. It was full, all green leaves (the Brussel book list as 10yr old? I guess it is the same one) I was told to keep the new shoots pinched back to force it to grow more in the tree and keep it full. Well I read and listen and still get confused about the pinch at so n so node or cut...but I tried to follow directions. Over the month it has grown all uneven, I did do some cutting a couple of weeks ago. Now it has new leaves coming out but they are reddish? I have not pinched them off yet, wanted to see if they would turn green. They do not appear to be changing, really seem to be at a stand still. Today they look "limp"....is this normal? The tree is on the deck, direct sun from 10am-3pm...I water every other day as it has been getting 85f and windy.

Thanks,
ML

noissee

i don't have a trident, but my maple's new leaves are always red when they first emerge. they turn green as they get bigger, but again i don't have a trident. as for where to pinch, it would be helpful to have a picture.

Ml_work

I have a Red Jap Maple that is doing really well, got it last year (5 yr old) this was the first winter to have it. It has double the leaves it did last year. They all came out red and will change with the season. The trident is different, I did read somewhere about a red tint on new leaves.
ML

Glider

New trident maple leaves are always red, especially if they're in good light (they like sun). They're also folded (like a duck's foot on the upstroke).

The red will darken through bronze as the leaves unfold and get more sun and the leaves will eventually turn dark green with a reddish bronze tint to the edges. The new shoots at the growing tips will always be red though, which looks really attractive through the summer against the green mature leaves.

I have four here and they're all bright red at the moment, but they'll all turn green eventually.

One is a variegated variety and that has leaves the colour of a deshojo when they're new (i.e. now), really bright shrimp-pink. These leaves fade to pink-tinged cream/white which looks amazing. The second and subsequent growth of leaves are all normal, but for a few weeks in spring it's really stunning. The shoots are only just coming out now, or I'd post a picture.

Ml_work

Glider, thank you very much. You described my situation, the leaves are "folded" not "limp" as I had said. They were all green when I purchased it so I did not see any of this. It sounds like the tree is OK, just growing as it should.
Thanks,
ML

Glider

It sounds fine and healthy to me (as far as I can tell without pictures). Trident maples are tough and the bright red of the new new shoots is a sign of good light and healthy growth. They'll begin to turn green in a month or so.

Ml_work

The new shoots are in fact red and the leaves are too. The top 2 leaves are smaller than the next 2 right under them. I am understanding correct that I should pinch the top 2 small ones off to promote growth lower on the tree? When I got it most all of them were the same length, almost round top. Now they are all different lengths, does not look as good.
Thanks,
ML

Glider

It depends what you're trying to achieve. Pinching out new shoots is good if the tree is in the refining stage where you want to limit growth and reduce leaf size. It's not so useful if you are trying to develop the tree or main branches.

If you are trying to refine the tree, then pinching out the growing tips before they have extended is a good way to go.

However, if the tree is still developing and the objective is to generate some back budding to increase ramification or fill in some sparse inner areas, then I would let the shoots extend for about 3 months until the first flush of leaves have hardened off. Then, in early/mid June, you can cut back all the new growth, quite hard, back to the first nodes.

This will force the tree to put out a new flush and you'll get a lot of back budding. The next flush of growth will be finer also.

With my maples, if the tree is growing vigourously, I defoliate at that time. This lets light and air into the centre of the tree (which also encourages back budding), it allows me to see what I'm doing when pruning back and wiring (which I do at that time). When the tree kicks off again, the new growth is a lot finer and with smaller leaves, and back budding tends to be quite vigorous.

If you don't want to completely defoliate, then you can partially defoliate. Take off the leaves from the strongest areas (i.e. the crown and toeards the branch ends), and leave the ones in weaker areas (lower down the tree and back from the ends of the branches). This will help redistribute the growing energy to give more even and balanced growth. That will also encourage back budding, but to a lesser degree.

At its most basic, general pruning will always be a matter of 'grow & clip'. How much you let the tree grow before clipping depends what you want (development, ramification or refining).

General maintenance pruning in maples accounts for the fact that they are strongly apically dominant, so, as a very basic rule of thumb, from new growth you would prune 2/3 - 3/4 from the top and vigorous upper branch ends, ~1/2 from middle main branches and 1/4-1/3 from inner and bottom branches. Essentially, be harder on the most vigorous growth and gentler on the weaker growth (there are no exact figures).

This is just a very basic 'rule of thumb' guide for general maintenance pruning (rather than shaping or refining).

Prowler

ML
Well, "Glider" put that very well indeed, better than any book, that's hands on experience. One question? do you have any Tridents growing in your area?
I think winter could be when your probs. start, such as not cold enough, how cold does it get in your area and for how long, it is interesting to know what happens to other members across the pond.. Cheers.

__________________
Its hell out there, give them hell back.

Ml_work

Thank you for the very helpful info and your time (if you type as slow as I do) Glider. I just did a copy and paste so I can read that again as I look at my tree. At this point I don't know if I am trying to "refine" "develope" or "back bud", I am just trying to keep it alive. The book listed it as 10 yr, and it was so full when I got it, I could not see the trunk had a cruve. After looking closer I did see the cruve and where the top had been cut hard at some time. Not really any big branches now. Just lot of small ones. I have been shy to do cutting or prunning very much as I have read and tend to agree if you continuely "mess" with one it does more damage than good. I think I have been too concerned with keeping it like it was when I purchased it as I did like the look. I think I will allow it to grow for a period, use the suggestions that you gave.
Prowler, I am not sure if we have any Trident Maples here or not, I think we do. I have alwas enjoyed been outside and use to spend alot of time in the woods. but have just now started really looking at the different trees. Just today I was "weed eating" (that's southern for cutting around trees, walks ..with a weedeater) for someone in town and noticed a small Jap Red Maple, I saw the trunk was nice size and I know they just brought it, my mind was ticking how I could use one like that. We don't have anywhere to purchase from other than wal-mart. I will ask them where they got it. Any way I am rambling, the temp varys, the past week it has been 85 day and 60 night. Now tonight it is going to 40 and 36 by monday. The coldest this past winter was about 25, I left some 25 yr catus out and killed a couple. Summer is hot, humid, average in the past 90-101. This past summer, coming home one day at 6pm the car showed 114! This was not just getting it, I was driving down the road. The deck where I keep many of my trees gets really hot, direct sun most of the day and then the wood gives off the heat. I was told it is too hot here for a 5 needle pine, I purchased 2 small ones to try. Will put in shade mid summer.
Thanks for the help.
ML