First Hedge Maple , but this tree belongs with a group. Ordered two more from Evergreen Garden Works to complete it come spring. It will be planted together in a grow box to hopefully melt into one base. Unless anyone says “schtop ” and thinks it can handle its own.
Didn’t go w the grow box but I have it in training pot , threaded through some different size wooden holes to regrow the base to eventually melt together one day .. this will go into the ground whoever I find a home .. oh and I removed the dried sphagnum… and replenished the top w just regular soil.
Update , so the trees are pushing roots already above the wooden block I have the threaded through. To prevent soil from washing away , put in a mesh border. Plan is to have the roots and trunks fuse.
Used a more secure method to get roots to thicken and grow above the wood these are threaded through… earlier in the year before I had to replenish the top and ice to this cut in had pond basket I observed a lot of fine roots starting to form a more cohesive base on top of the wood .
I can’t find the diagram I saw but the roots were very strong and lots of small roots growing over the wooden board I pushed these little trees through. But it will be like a kabudachi clump one day and I’m very pleased so far. I’m going to repot it again because I want to cut the roots off bottom trees to bolster new roots above the board