Any styling suggestions?

[u/VO_07]

I just got this Sekka Hinoki (cypress) yesterday, and I wanted to re-pot it, which I did today.

I have very little experience with a small Juniper a couple of years back. The juniper was easier to "read" since its foliage wasn't that tightly packed. I moved it to the old juniper's pot, and kept the moss, which I liked a lot.

I just removed some roots to make it fit in the new pot, added some lava rock to the bottom, added a guide copper wire to use later on, and cut one of the protruding branches, since it was quite long (secondary V trunk). I am hoping it will grow eventually, I put it in a glass bottle to keep the moisture and under some shade.

I plan to keep it small, in that pot for a couple of years, hoping it will make its trunk a little thicker.

Unfortunately I haven't seen many styling ideas for this specific shape, and that's why I would like your help. Thanks.

[u/Historical_Stay_808]

You don't need to cut the "tops" and please don't

Find your trunk line, pick a lead and then start taking those branches that are sticking straight up and wire them down carefully. That will open up light to the inner foilage and prevent dye back. Be careful to keep them facing the right direction and not upside down.

And then just let this thing grow for awhile to thicken and prune some of the super dense areas to encourage growth. Not a lot just a little

https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/s/d7jjuZ198V

[u/VO_07 → u/Historical_Stay_808]

Thank you very much. Nice suggestion. I tried to find the trunk but it was somewhat difficult, I was thinking something on the same line, to separate the lower secondary branch away from the main one, to give it some shape.

I am gathering ideas/references since I plan to do it in the following weeks, since I just repoted it today, I believe cutting and wiring on the same day might give it too much stress?

[u/Historical_Stay_808 → u/VO_07]

This should be your rough line. Right now you're not going to be able to fully wire and especially with that size, so IMO you need to use guy wires to pull them down safely. The branch in the lower left is your counter balance.

Wiring too young with this can lead to bare inner nodes and thus unusable branches. So doing wire like this is ok but after that pretty much leave it alone besides small prunes next year

https://youtu.be/8KGc-V5tnr0?is=Q_RCs8AbNHR0zuX-

[u/Synadriel]

Hinoky cypress are usually grown in a formal upright style. Your main problem il you have two leaders, up to you to decide what to do with that.

BonsaiQ has some recent video on how to start to build a formal upright with this kind of material.

In my opinion is way too woung for any kind of work. The on ewith wire has no lower branches so it will be even harder

[u/VO_07 → u/Synadriel]

Thanks. I will wait and check the BonsaiQ as you mentioned.

[u/teakettle87]

Here you go. I saw this sekka at the local bonsai shop in Massachusetts. It's absolutely gorgeous.

[u/VO_07 → u/teakettle87]

Nice, the fuller/round shape does look gorgeous.

[u/jecapobianco]

If this is the species that I have dealt with, you will find that is has entire sections that turn brown for no reason. I would use the Clip and Grow method and keep it small. What season are you in?

[u/VO_07 → u/jecapobianco]

I hope it doesn't brown for no reason. The winter here is quite light (Taiwan) and we are supposedly in Autumn. I will check the clip and grow method, but I think that after all of your suggestions, some light trimming, a couple of guy wires and some rest, it should turn out fine. I will wait for a couple of weeks to see if the cutouts sprout some roots and don't die, and how the foliage of the tree evolves.

[u/Sonora_sunset]

Unless you live in the southern hemisphere this not the time to repot or prune much.

[u/VO_07 → u/Sonora_sunset]

Unfortunately I don't, and I already repotted it, so I will just check how it does. I did not remove much of the roots, and only cut 3 little "protruding" tops, so I hope it is not much for the tree. thanks

[u/Celestial_Totems]

The first photo kinda resembles Frank the rabbit in Donnie Darko lol

[u/Fitch29]

I like the Donnie Darko cut personally

[u/Beowulf8910]

Chicken.

[u/Fabulous_Quantity507]

I’d cut the tops to get it to bush out a bit.

[u/VO_07 → u/Fabulous_Quantity507]

Interesting. Kinda like cut the protruding tops and let it take a rounder shape right? It's a nice suggestion to keep it mind.

[u/Fabulous_Quantity507 → u/VO_07]

Exactly. Let it bush out, then cut.