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I picked up a pot of Boxwood plants at big box store fall clearance last year with the plan to try some bonsai techniques on them if they survived the winter. Spring is around the corner and I would like to repot them into something that isn't the cheap/ugly black plastic container they came in.

I looked at them them the other day and realized/remembered that there are 2 main stalks/trunks above the soil. I did not do any investigation as to the structure below the soil. I now know that within bonsai practices there's a strong preference for groupings to be of an odd number greater than 3. It seems like I have 2 plants so it seems like I have 2 possible options.

Assuming there isn't branching below the soil and there's 2 root systems I could try to separate the root balls. They are in a pot that is only 6" across so I'm worried that doing so would cause significant damage to one of both of the root structures, but I also know that you can remove about 1/3 of the roots without having a significant effect on plant health. (I have repotted different succulent species many many times so I am not worried about getting things down to bare root. I also work with corn and soy plants as a research scientist.)

My other option would be to purchase a 3rd Boxwood that is about the same size(?), or would be the same size after pruning, and combine them in a larger pot.

Thoughts or suggestions?

Oh, and thanks in advance.

Got photos?

Here are 2 pictures of the plants in question. The trunks are 1"apart, center to center. Thanks again.

(I brought it inside for the sake of lighting in the pictures.)

I would separate them. Give them a basic trrim, and plant them in the garden. Forget about them for 4 years. Lift. Work the roots & give a basic trim again. The replant for another 4 years. Then you will have a trunk worth the work of creating a bonsai. As it is, it is really still very young..

Thanks leatherback.
Unfortunately I live in the middle of a major city and have a 14' x 10' concrete slab as a back yard. I will separate them and pot them in containers that are much larger than a bonsai would call for to give them room to grow.