Whether you ground it or pot it, it is very important with cedars to preserve the minor THIN branches coming from the trunk because these are the ones you will want to use when the time comes for branch selection. By that time the vigorous heavy ones will be useless. The way to preserve the thin ones is to make sure they get their share of light and air by pruning and thinning the heavy ones. You can remove the thick branches clean from the trunk because cedars heal very quickly. Remember to also replace the leader regularly. Curved trunks on cedar looks contrived and fake. Let it grow the way it wants and it will look like a cedar. Once you pot it you want to develop a FLAT apex, not a round one. You are not making a pine! Ypu don't need heavy branches low on the trunk. They can be high up above the half-way point or higher. This will make the tree look authentic. Deodar is not much a bonsai subject but maybe in 50 years it will settle down to smaller needles.
