AusBonsai

Hope you have patience as it is going to be a long time till Craig has had enough of it!

It's all good, Im 24 so by the time Craig is finished with it I'll have finished my apprenticeship in japan and I'll know what to do with it!

What a cracker Craig. And it has an interesting history.

Not sure if I'd be too worried about the top branching, would even consider shortening a little to round the top a bit. Nice big, even roots. That beautuful moss will fill the spaces nicely.

Enjoy. It's a beauty.

Best Regards

Tony

Thanks guys, I think I will be keeping this one for a while unless I get hit by a bus. This height of the tree is about the same as it was when it came into the country, I took out some really heavy branches in the crown which had grown unchecked for some years so its going to take a while to re-build that as well as the rest of the branching. I think when the Japanese grow trees for commercial purposes they leave lots of branches on them for the new owners to sort out, thats just a guess but all the Japanese imports I have seen seem to have lots and lots of branches.
Bodhi, I am fully aware of how lucky I am to have this one as its not something I could replicate in one life time although I am sure Scott at the ripe old age of 24 could have one by the time he is 60.
Craigw

Well Craig, I was curious about the tree after you took delivery of it from me. I was a member of BSV for 25 years and lost interest in Bonsai a few years ago.
I'm happy you have the tree and it will flourish under your care. I still have a few trees left that I enjoy, (including another even better big Japanese imported trident ) but cannot ever be inspired to rejoin the bonsai club again.
Good luck Brian.

Hi Brian, good to see you here. The trident is coming along nicely and has made a bit more twiggy growth, I will be wiring the twigs before to long then it will get repotted, I would like to find a slightly deeper good quality pot for it.
I am glad you still have a few trees.
Craigw

Just before Hiro's visit my friend Jow was here and he suggested a radical trunk chop for this tree, I had been thinking about a second tree for Hiro's critique night and decided a second opinion on this one would be good. Hiro was very enthusiastic about Jow's suggestion and also picked out a new front. Here is the result.
Craigw

Looks great Craig. It is surely going to grow into an impressive tree.

Looking good. Was going say, apex moves in the opposite direction to the first long/main branch!

Craig, good to see my old trident getting the full treatment. I don't like the big course roots on the buttress, that was why I didn't keep it. I know you will turn it into a masterpiece.

Yes Brian the roots are very chunky, its very old fashioned. If you look at old photos of tridents in Japan lots of them have similar root structures.
Craigw

I think you have made the best choice for the tree in the long run!
Well done Craig, this will be a terrific tree to rebuild And I really will look forward to watching it progress over the coming years
Thanks for sharing it, Dario.

A "before" photo. July 2012
At Hiro's advanced critique.

I like where it is going craig

So much better, a great tree !!! Well done fellas !!! Some root grafting would soon give it a little more finess, im sure Jow has reccomended this ?

Thanks Gerard, I am sure there are plenty of trees all over melbourne with that Hiro touch
Tony I thought you would like this one, Jow and others have recommended root grafts I am in two minds I can produce plenty of tridents with radial nebari but quite like the out of date character of this tree.
Craigw