Here are my two forests... they came from trees that I bought last year which had all been in one big growing box together. There were a total of nineteen Tridents in the box, and they had been together for at least five years, without repotting. I had a terrible time getting them seperated, had to take a kitchen knife to the roots finally! The first forest is just a chunk of trees as they came out together, without as much root trimming. I was scared to cut more root off.
So it's potted way too high in the pot, and with enough muck to hold it all together until it can be fixed.
However, later in the day as I continued working to untangle the big mess, I got much bolder. (okay, bolder isn't the word... tired and exasperated is more like it!!) So the second forest has fewer roots and sits better in the pot. I wasn't able to position the trees correctly, I was just glad to get them all in the pot at that point. When I told Ron my troubles, he wrote a wonderful article on how to hold them in the pot, which I will be so happy to utilize next year! Even though they aren't where they should be, and they aren't pruned properly yet, it's a relief to have a start on them. Over the next few years, these forests will grow with my experience, and together we will begin to achieve a more polished look.
So, please no hard criticism yet
... I know they are very flawed, and can only wait until the time comes to fix them better.
Joanie