you start by IDing your plant ...

then finding out if they are grafted ... so that you can speculate as to whether these are root suckers or actually valuable trunks ...

and the rest ... pshaw .. online ... its your tree... do what you want to it ... exactly whose permission are you looking for???

i have had a couple national tours come to my garden ... most peeps are pretty sick about the topic plant .. most are attracted to the ones.. that for whatever reason [usually snow or ice damage] that i have had to prune into bizarre shapes ...

its all to your whim.. on pruning anything... think topiary ...

ken

ps: i NEVER screw trees together ... ever ... might kill myself or the next owner

thanks.. i try .....

if you wanted a single stem.. tree like plant.. you should have bought it that way...

ken