NathanM wrote:Thanks for all the comments guys

it's still growing

Didn't get to repot it though :s Oh well, spring will be here soon enough!
Sorry for derailing the thread Nathan. Im always on the lookout for retusa stock, its just not that common where i am.
I hope you dont mind me doctoring your pic but i thought maybe theres two trees [maybe 3] that could be utilized:
The main part could be styled as such:
And if you found theres too much space between the first branch and the base of the tree you could air layer it just above the root and make a sumo shohin out of the base. Then take the top of mid summer and treat it as a hard wood cutting.
But in saying that, iv never worked on retusa and i dont know what they are like compared to Macrophylla and Rubiginosa.
Hope this helps in someway lol