Young Liquidambar Forest: Replant, Too Symmetrical?

[Firstflush]

This is a 2 year old forest. Very established and growing well. Fat and healthy. I got some trunk movement down low.
I was going for the “V” look with the off center gap for a persons entry point. Just a fun, not too serious planting.

I have been looking at it a lot and feel like they trees maybe planted too evenly spaced. It wasn’t on purpose, they just kind of setup like that. What are your opinions? Tear it up and redo? I like when a few seedlings are planted right upon each other as would happen naturally.

They were planted slightly deeper as they were dug up seedlings and needed better anchoring, so at the very latest next year I’ll have to raise them up anyway.

 

[DanaWhicker]

I think it looks good. I would not replant. Just my opinion.

 

[Tums]

I would replant into two more distinct groups and maybe vary the trunk angles more?

 

[HorseloverFat]

It looks SLIGHTLY ... unbalanced/too balanced NOW... but you have to consider your potential negative space to be utilized by branching..

So I’d consider, “How tall would I like this planting to be at peak?”

“How (if at all) will I be assembling visual branches THROUGH these spaces between trees?”

I would ponder these things, fully, before planning a re-pot.

I would replant into two more distinct groups and maybe vary the trunk angles more?

This is, personally, the direction I would take it too.. IF i ended up deciding on a repot.

Just make sure your ready...

Unleeeessss Liquidambers are SUPER easy (and not notoriously risky At all) to repot. And if they don’t mind root disruption, and take it like a champ.

 

[just.wing.it]

It's more of a group than a forest.
Add more trees!
Make the spaces between the trees more irregular.

 

[HorseloverFat]

It's more of a group than a forest.
Add more trees!
Make the spaces between the trees more irregular.

Nice!

 

[Firstflush]

So a group planting, ok!

 

[TN_Jim]

Needs to grow, repot would slow this need down. Would be focused on structural pruning and planning in the next year, beginning with…

 

[Firstflush]

My famous BBQ top picks straight killing it!
The pot is no where near full of roots, so I can leave it too. Beef them up.

 

[TN_Jim]

Wish I had a single Liquidambar, good on ya whatever approach you take.
Thanks

 

[Shibui]

Very common to see evenly spaced trees in beginner forests. Something in our subconscious makes us space things like that. To get good, random spacing you really need to concentrate on varying spaces when planting and even then the result is often still evenly spaced.
I often prepare pots with 2 or 3 trunks planted close together a year or 2 before assembling a group and use those to give the forest more randomness.
Also consider variation in trunk thickness for group plantings. A forest with all the same trunks may be OK but one with a couple of thicker trunks looks so much better. To this end consider adding more trees each year or 2 to get some variation.

The vast majority of group plantings will be taken apart and reassembled at least once as owners recognize shortcomings. I'd definitely encourage you to make changes to this one over the next few years.

 

[Firstflush]

When I did the planting, it was not so symmetrical. Things settled on their own once they recovered and started pushing. Thinking on a tight group of three on one side with a trail off to the right or left decreasing in height with the remaining two. Really healthy right now, may let it grow.

Thanks folks.