Parsons Juniper - anything to do?

[UncleTrout]

I’m back with another questions for another tree. Likely will be one of the last for a while as my wife will kill me if I keep this up..

I couldn’t uncover and take a good look at the base until I got home and found this.. is there anything that could be done with the trunks all split up like they are? I think removing each branch would disrupt the roots too much and not sure if they’d live.. but then again I’ve never worked on one of these..

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I’m sure there is something to be done, but you haven’t gotten a good look at the base yet. I’d imagine those multiple trucks do merge somewhere under there.

I would clean out the dead undergrowth and do just a bit of branch selection at the top to let some light in down under.

Then repot in the spring and you can re-access the trunk situation and design options?

Or you could scape away the surface soil a bit more now, to help with the letting light in decisions, but I don’t think it is necessary to rush.