One of the
Taxus and the Juniper are so compact and dense with foliage
that it is
really hard to see what to cut away. My question is this:
does anyone have
some practical advice, after doing this for many years, on how
to deal with
this situation. I don't want to just go in there and start
hacking away . . .

Does it matter at this point? You certainly weren't going to put
these in a bonsai pot right away, were you?

Cut everything back to near stubs, or 2-3 inches, always leaving
_some_ foliage. Chances are that will let you get a glimpse of
where the branches leave the trunk and you can make your choices
then. Next, remove the most obviously poorly located branches
and let everything start to re-grow.

While this is happening, study the existing branching carefully.
Chances are, MOST of the branches will really be too fat for
branches on a bonsai and will have to go anyway and you will grow
new ones. Look at the fat ones as future jins.

Trees like those you describe are purchased for the base and the
trunk. You almost always have to re-do all (or most) of the
branching. This could take several years, but will be worth it.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

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