Any suggestions? I added a pic of the 3rd tree. I’m thinking of group planting. These are subalpine firs, field grown in the mountains and dug last fall. Just arrived a nearby nursery (Covington creek nursery, WA)
Can’t decide if I put them all in an Anderson flat for now, or put them up, or SLAB 
(my preference).
I still have time to repot, and maybe do a little cleaning up, or style first?
Is it one tree with two trunks or two separate trees? I like the natural curves on both trees!
I checked them out last night, I believe they’re separate. I thought they were together too, it’ll be a nice mother-daughter. Nice elegant, long slender trunk on all 3.
Actually there’s a tiny 4th one (sharpie thick trunk).
Loving the curve! Thats the reason I wouldn’t group it just keep them in one pot and keep it formal.
Beautiful material @ThienXiang 
I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll work with the trees, let them show me what they want. I’ll get the pots ready for group or individual planting.
I can picture them on a rocky hillside or cliff in a loose group leaning over. Or a tight group in an isolated area by the river. I can also see why they’re ok on their own.
Thank you 
If it is not too late to repot where you’re at, and If you have some idea of the future angle/front, I’d suggest to go ahead and repot without removing any foliage or if it is a forest planting, as little as necessary to get the trees at the necessary distance and relative orientation. As Ryan suggests, this will allow you to establish a good root system and prior to styling and it will save you a year or two in development.
Yep. That’s the plan. I remember it from the streams.
Do I plant in a box or in a pot? I want to plant them in a slab eventually.
I’d say that if you have the slab plant it in it. If you don’t plant it in a bonsai pot. When you repot, this first time it will be your best chance to ever work on problematic sections of the root system - so think carefully if something you leave will become a potential impediment in the future. Be careful though to do away with as much as necessary but not more.
Thanjs Rafi. I can’t do root work on these trees. They’re collected last fall. I don’t have the slab yet, I do have a large oval pot, maybe about a foot and a half wide, 2 inches deep. I can possibly drop by home depot and buy a large or xl flagstone, drill holes and use it as the slab.
Oh, yeah, I missed that point, if collected last fall yes, wait a year…
[quote=“ThienXiang, post:12, topic:808”]/
My alpine firs are out in the yard now.
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I cannot tell from the photo, did you top dress the soil? Moss or top dressing and moss would be both useful and fill in the ’ to take care of the “emptiness” ’ as you stated.
I like it. I’d consider jinning the entire top of the left-hand tree from the point it has that straight bare section .
Yes Bob. Ryan’s top dressing, less the dye. I did add a thin layer of aquarium substrate (eco-complete) to give it a black tinge.
I’ve been considering it. We’re going to Hurricane Ridge in July for camping. I’ll get ideas there. Thanks!
This planting will take a while. I still want to change the angle, give them a slight lean to the right, get them ready for a slab or shallow pot that slopes down to the left.
