Large juniper chinensis progression. Was an 8ft ornamental!

edro

Yamadori
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I found this for $15 a few years ago in the fall. It was an 8ft tall pom-pom style and was half dead.
I knew it wouldn't fit in my car, so I had the nursery manager take the top off with a bow saw.
The following spring I cut off 1/3 of the root ball and repotted it into a training box.

Last year, I just let it grow.

This year it is growing great, so a few days ago, I gave it a good trimming and initial styling.
I am hoping to get some back budding to shorten up the branches.

The obvious problem is the apex. There is decent taper at the bottom, but none from 1/3 up to the apex.
Because the trunk is so large, I doubt I can bend a top branch vertically to make a new apex.
I might just have to disguise the cut with some foliage from a top branch.

The last photo is the original 8ft version. The top doesn't look at bad as I remember.
 

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rosieface

Seedling
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Could you possibly chop at an angle lower down and pick a leader branch to continue the upward line? It would take some time but it might make a better taper in the long run.
 

plant_dr

Chumono
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Or carve the top into a gnarly jin and run a shari down the trunk to match it. This could also take a lot of time. I really like this material; It has a great root flare and a nice thick trunk. It will make a great tree someday. Here is a virtual I did.
 

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bonsai barry

Omono
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It's great that you have branching that low growing from an originally tall tree. If it were mine, I lose the top half of the trunk. The top half lacks interest and detracts from the rest of the tree.
 
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