What to cut..?

[BondaiNate]

I'm working on my first Cypress and I'm unsure what branchs to clean up because as it stands, the tree is a Bush. Any help is much appreciated!!

Also in the last picture you can see the most prominent longest branch has partially snapped, any advice on whether I should cut it or try to save it would be much appreciated as well!

 

[Housguy]

If that branch is an important branch as far as the design goes, save it! Take your time in cleaning up the tree and stick to the basic bonsai guidelines when it comes to branch selection and you will start to see the image emerging from the tree as you clean it up and then you will have a better ideal of where you want to take the tree. Hope that helps.

 

[BondaiNate]

If that branch is an important branch as far as the design goes, save it! Take your time in cleaning up the tree and stick to the basic bonsai guidelines when it comes to branch selection and you will start to see the image emerging from the tree as you clean it up and then you will have a better ideal of where you want to take the tree. Hope that helps.

Cool thanks, do you know any videos that talk about basic cutting guidelines?

 

[Housguy]

This is a pretty good introduction video for you, a bit long, but worth all the information you will get from it.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I believe you have Hinoki falsecypress (Chamaecyparis) - not a true Cypress (Cupressus)
This becomes important only because Hinoki WILL NOT BACK BUD on old wood. KEEP SOME SELECT green buds on the trunk at strategic locations all up and down the trunk. Reason is that over time branches will get too long with foliage too far away from the trunk. Keep a number of branches short, so that as the longer branches get too thick, too long, with foliage too far away, you can replace them with shorter branches. Or you will have to learn how to graft.

 

[BondaiNate]

Thanks guys, this helps