Chamaecyparis Pisifera- Please Advise

jportock

Hello All,
I'm new to bonsai, but have decided to jump right into. I figure hands on experience will be the best way to learn now that I have read a ton of material on the subject.
Last weekend I picked up a "BLVD. Cypress" and began my first ever attempt at styling. I have various other species that aren't really ready yet.
I hope that I haven't chosen a bad time or done too much to the tree but if I have done something wrong live and learn!
When I first picked up the tree I thought I'd try a formal upright style and so what I have done is my attempt toward that end. Now that I have cleaned out the dead from the middle, removed quite a number of branches and wired some of the lower branches down I'm not sure that I chose the right style for the tree.
I would like your advice for a direction on the tree. All of your suggestions (or virts) would be wonderful. I am not fragile so even letting me know I have chosen very poor material will only help me in the long run.
Anyway now that I have gone through this long winded intro, here is what I began with:

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start-cyp.jpg (15.8 KB, 107 views)

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jportock

I haven't chosen a front yet.

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north-cyp.jpg (69.3 KB, 101 views)

jportock

side 2

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east-cyp.jpg (70.0 KB, 95 views)

jportock

side 3

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south-cyp.jpg (61.8 KB, 93 views)

jportock

side 4

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west-cyp.jpg (69.4 KB, 91 views)

jportock

I'm hoping that when I get to pulling this out of it's container and changing the soil I will be able to expose more roots like the ones in this picture but for now this is the extent of the nebari. BTW, how do you pronounce nebari?

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neb-cyp.jpg (64.5 KB, 95 views)

jportock

I have learned alot from this forum and I thank you all very much for your contributions. I have a long way to go and I hope we can continue our bonsai journies together.
Here is one more image for scale.

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scale-cyp.jpg (15.9 KB, 102 views)

Master-S.T-

i liek it ..beautiful tree...
but i suggest Much much more thinning to do... It is Very bulky for its size..But the over all design is nicely wired etc.

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Carl_Bergstrom

Jportock,

Good job for a first styling attempt. You've done well and you've avoided many of the mistakes that I made my first time (or first dozen times, for that matter).

A couple of suggestions. First, in the future I'd recommend picking a front and having a plan before proceeding. Otherwise it is too easy to take off things that you wish you hadn't.

Second, good as your wiring is for a first try, I can't overstate the value of first-hand instruction. Your coils are a bit too close, and your anchoring could be improved considerably. Where these sorts of things are concerned, a good teacher will help you more than any number of books or articles.



Master S. T.,

You should probably provide some sense of timescale along with your advice. Surely you know that further thinning at this stage is a mistake, but others who are asking your advice might not. So help them out by suggesting further thinning after both root pruning and repotting next spring, and allowing a growing season or so for recovery.

Best wishes,
Carl

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