The middle plant plus its pot is 18.5 inches, floor to tip. The dirt has compacted so badly that it's 4-5 inches below the top of the pot, and I'm guessing I should lift the plant and add more. I have neither topped nor pruned yet because the darn things have been doing on their own what I understand folks use the methods to potentiate: staying low and branching like mad. --Correction, mid-post I've raised the both Thais by lifting them and adding more dirt. They sit much higher in the pot and a lot more light reaches their nether regions, but I heard roots tear during the process and I fear I've stressed them. What's the standard way to lift a 3-gallon root ball up without tearing roots? -- edit: after lifting, pot+plant=22 inches

Do I dare prune them now? Consider this shot of the stunted thai's center growth:
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It's difficult to tell from the picture, but the crazy thing 'topped itself' twice. There are four near-equally-sized stems surrounding a 'bowl' full of baby nodes. I'm wondering if I can imitate the effect of pruning the plant without additional stress by tying the outer trunks toward the rim of the pot and allowing the numerous small branches to expand.