Trident Maple Pruning

[Liv]

I have had my Trident Maple since late December and now it has begun growing out of control. I was wondering when the ideal time for pruning is? I have heard that you should wait until the tree as lost it's leaves but I really have know idea.

Something else that is concerning me is my tree is steadily putting out new shoots and has grown a further 20cm in the past month, it shows no signs of loosing it's leaves and we are coming close to winter now.

Finally, the new leaves that have grown are noticeably larger than the other ones. The size of the older leaves on the tree have a width of 2.5cm and a length of 3cm whereas the new leaves measure at a width of 5.5cm and a length of 6.5cm. What does this mean?

Thanks in advance

[Paulneill]

I would have a guess that maybe your trident is not getting much light .
Is it outside ? Getting plenty of direct sun ?
Trees struggling for light will produce bigger leaves to try and get more light.
Only other thing I can think of is the use of a fertiliser high it nitrogen could also promote larger leaves.

[Liv]

You're probably right, currently it's on a table where it sees light throughout the day, but I'll begin keeping it completely outside

Thanks.

[Luke308]

You're probably right, currently it's on a table where it sees light throughout the day, but I'll begin keeping it completely outside

Thanks.

Trees should be outdoors as they need light and air to survive. Also temp changes from heaters and A/C are a big no no as they can really dry things out. If you keep your tree outside you will be rewarded with a healthier tree. Also winter is a good time to prune maples. I have several tridents, and they too grow big leaves on some of the new shoots, but this is usually after a few doses of high nitrogen fert. If you are worried about them, you can prune the big leaves off to allow more light in, but it would be now use at this time of year. Id only worry about that during spring and summer. Hope that helps

[Liv]

Thanks I've just place my tree outside where it will stay. Just another question though, should I placed the tree under some sort of cover area in case of a lot of rain?

[deepeetee]

Hi Liv,

I wouldn't bother with a cover for a lot of rain. If you know its going to absolutely pour down that day or night, you could always put it under some shelter. To be perfectly honest i have never bothered, but im trying to toughen mine up a little

Let your trident be until middle to late August, make sure it is receiving plenty of sunlight and adequate water. You have yourself the perfect beginner species.
Good luck. Dont be afraid to ask questions, that's how you learn. A really good source of information is the Wiki, have a good look through that section of the forum. It is very informative.

Dave