I am trying to decide if I should separate the trunks on this brug or leave them together. There are three trunks coming from a main trunk and all three trunks have Y'd. I am concerned that if I leave this as one plant the growth from the Y and above become too jumbled and messy looking. Should I separate them or will they be OK left alone?
Whether you prune off two of the three trunks depends on whether you want a standard (tree) shaped or a shrubby and fuller look. Remember that Brugs tend to be shraggly rather than bushy especially in a pot. In the ground and over a number of years, they will fill out.
Since rooting slows down during late fall and winter, if you have the room to overwinter it as it is, do so. Then if you decide you like the standard look, you can make the cuttings in the spring when rooting becomes easier. If you decide to cut them now, you can overwinter the cuttings in a bucket of water. If you oxygenate the water by putting an air stone powered by a small aquarium pump into the water, rooting is easier. When you make the cuts, spray the cut surfaces with a fungicide to help prevent die-back which seem to get worse in cooler temperatures. Personally, I would wait until spring to prune.
