River birch clump - what do I do now?

scarriedoc

Yamadori
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I bought this at Home Depot for $10 because it looked like a thick trunk with potential. Thinking of keeping it as a clump. I've read these don't make great bonsai though. I've cut the root ball and bigger roots that kept me from putting it into a shallower pot. Now what should I do?
 

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Maloghurst

Chumono
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I’ve looked at these but never decided to buy one. The price was right for you though. Internodes and leaves always seemed workable. Did you just just bare root this? Wether you did or not I wouldn’t touch it until it recovers next spring. Maybe the following spring.
You have plenty of time to decide on styling by then.
Try to envision the entire tree 12-20 inches tall from the soil.
 

JesusFreak

Shohin
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How’s this tree doing? I just rooted one and I think it’s gonna die. I took a lot of roots off
 

scarriedoc

Yamadori
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How’s this tree doing? I just rooted one and I think it’s gonna die. I took a lot of roots off
I cut it down a bit to scale and already it has some die back in the areas I circled. But it's starting to bud out on the lighter brown parts. Not sure this is going to really be anything, which is what others had said.
 

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