my Cedrus Libani

Hi guys

This is my first post to this forum, and i hope you can forgive my poor experience in this field.

i just got two Cedrus Libani around 8 years old in big pot with very compact heavy soil like cement.

i washed the root carefully with running water last week , until i got the root ball clear. i re-potted them in smaller pot with high quality peat moss so they can be rest for future root pruning , in the coming two years to be put in bonsai pot..

i need your suggestions of what to keep and what to cut to start develop taper. and branch style.
this is my first one. please feel free to suggest

my first tree



my second tree:

Try and bend the primary branches downwards ones the tree has recovered, and try to bring the foliage closer to the trunk by trimming ...then take pictures and decide which way to go. No need to chop it not.
Cedrus is hard to back bud on older wood.

Neli wrote:Try and bend the primary branches downwards ones the tree has recovered, and try to bring the foliage closer to the trunk by trimming ...then take pictures and decide which way to go. No need to chop it not.
Cedrus is hard to back bud on older wood.

you mean trimming all branches even in the top? to forward energy to low branches ?

No so much about balancing energy, more of gaining momentum to force the tree to back bud. First of all to make it grow strong and then cut back the branches at the right time to make it back bud. Beginning of spring can be a good time, but before that make the tree grow...fertilize...and then cut back everywhere at the same time.
Remember you must never cut back a branch without leaving healthy foliage at the end.