Hi James, Yes, I'm going for the upright style, formal or otherwise. I think it will work because I have three healthy branches on the shorter (chopped) tree and there are more branches on each of those. Next spring I'm going to move the whole thing into a much bigger pot to encourage trunk thickening as well as more root spread. I'd like to add some more trees to the fusion over time but I know that if they aren't from the same batch their trunks may have different colors, which would spoil the effect. I may just start a whole new set with another batch. Then, if I live that long ;-) I might arrange all that in a two-trunk planting. This is fun. Krys

Ryan, this is usually something which is done when they are first planted, makes it a whole lot easier. And, in your area this is going to take a while. Normally you begin by deciding things like branch placement and relative size to each other, taking into consideration things like the approximate size and design of the finished tree. Where trunks are going to meet you remove roots and branches then bare a strip on each tree. You can loosely hold them together with masking tape until you have the 'bundle' ready to go. Then use something like soft rubber to pad the trunks, or cloth and (most common) a wrap of raffia to bind them. This is done multiple places on the trunk. The more modern way would be to use a good wrap of rubber ��" like inner tube or rubber roofing ��" then a wide wire tie at each point. Of course, as the tree/trees grow, you need to keep an eye on things. Seasonally you will have to relax/remove and replace the ties and the rubber so you donâÂÂt wind up with ugly groves in the trunk. You can probably still minipulate those enough to get things started, have fun. Bob

Wow! Thank you all so much for your advide. I don't know where to begin. First, let me say to surfcityhb -- as a bird lover, I tip my hat to you for protecting the winged ones (I like cats, too -- but don't appreciate the unfair advantage). With regard to the spacing between plants -- I have to take credit for that. I added more Podocarpus to the fill in the gaps because the growth was so anemic. (I had a landscape designer but so many of his choices turned out to be bad that I've been patching it up myself.) So...I took your advice and watered/soaked (!) the trees today and I don't know if it did them any good, but it sure made me feel better. One of the mis-steps the landscaper made was to plant the Podocarpus too shallowly, if that's a word. The result is that the rootball bumps up out of the ground making it impossible to build a moat around them which is what my gardner suggested. I'm hopeful that the soak plan will work. I have to admit, I enjoy the hose -- a remark I hope doesn't come back to haunt me later... Hosenemisis, your hedge is glorious, too. My yard is tiny (1930's spanish style courtyard, actually -- not really a yard at all) so god help me, my hedge may rule me one day). Again, thank you all for your advice. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I have posted to the Garden Web once or twice in the past and didn't get the kind of love I'm feeling here! Maybe I wasn't in the California forum... Anyway, thank you so much for your help. Tina

Yeah you want a solitary leader.