Thank you Leo for looking through and providing some feedback. I guess what I meant by marking the fronts was what would be the best based on the naturally collected nebari.
I did think I would need to try and choose branches from the first year's growth, so you saying I shouldn't worry about the first year possibilities is very encouraging. Especially since I think I should've set their growing angles earlier/ better than I did.
What is your opinion on working the roots next winter/ spring, one year after collecting? I would probably only try this with one of the three. I actually have several seedlings I could practice grafting, which I'm anxious to try.
In general, I try not to disturb the roots of any tree in my collection more than once every 2 or more years. I would leave them alone to re-establish a second year. I collected a hornbeam and it was not ready for anything until the second year. It is important that anytime you do repot a tree you take advantage of the only once every other year opportunity and do the work to improve the root system and the nebari. In general, the front will often end up being the side of the tree that the nebari looks best. In the future when you pot up collected trees, always try to have the best side of the nebari facing the ''front'' of the pot because it will be two or three years before you get a chance again to rotate the tree in the pot.
Deciduous trees might tolerate yearly repotting, but it is not recommended except for specific situations. For example there are some who will repot an exhibit ready maple just to slow the growth down the year it will be exhibited. Obviously you do repot if there is a health related issue that requires being repotted. Generally every other year is ''normal'' and I often will let trees go longer if I can get away with it. My collected hornbeam has not been repotted yet, and 2019 will be its third growing season. Probably 2020 will be its first repot.
Second. the repotting decision, can be planned, but on the day you plan to do it, evaluate the health of the tree, and review the decision before you start based on the health of the tree in front of you. If growth was weak, and the potting media and such in the pot are good enough for another year,
don't repot. Repotting will further weaken weak trees, and slow down strong trees. Repotting is the second most traumatic thing you can do to a tree other than collecting a tree from the wild. AND there is no such thing as a gentle ''slip potting''. What people call ''slip potting'' is just as traumatic as a full blown regular repotting, but without the benefit of actually improving the roots or nebari. So I would put off repotting as long as you can after initial collecting, at least two years.
This second growing season is an ideal time to start working your trees. Start thinking about what style or forms you want them to take. Key will be thinking about what angle you want branches to be to the trunk. Over the winter, or sometime after the summer solstice you can start wiring the branches mainly to set the angle the branches leave the trunk. The branches will be shortened later, so you really only have to wire the first couple inches.
If you are not sure what to do with the trees, as a "paint by numbers" plan, figure the collected trunk will be the first one third the total height of the "finished" tree. If you want trees under a certain height, say 12 inches, the trunks might need to be re-chopped to 4 inches or so. It is a "guideline" not a rule. If some other plan or proportions look good, go with it.
So first third of the trunk should be the main trunk. Second third is the region with all the major branches coming off the trunk. Third region is all secondary branching. For deciduous trees, we play build a tree, building each segment and each region. Ideally the trunk tapers, becoming more narrow as you go up.
I have not had any success at collecting trees, and I am hopefully going to learn soon.
