Newbie with a Claret top.

[ma7t]

Ok, so I bought this Melaleuca today and I'm not a hundred percent on what to do next. I've cut some branches and a lot of twigs off, but didn't want to go too extreme and ruin it. I've chosen the front, but I would like some opinions what would be a good way to go from here?

[klaery]

Not that I advocate it.. but they can take a beating. I went nuts on mine and cut the foliage waaay back and cut 2/3 of the roots off and put it straight in a bonsai pot all at once at the wrong time of year. If there was something wrong you could do then I did it. It lost all its leaves and I thought it was dead. A couple of weeks later there were buds everywhere and now days it is looking great I wouldn't do what I did, but you can certainly go further then you have if there is a direction in mind.

If you are wanting some back budding/ramification closer in on the branches then trim the foliage ends back a little and it should supply you with some

Here is mine, I need to put a recent pic up.
viewtopic.php?f=104&t=16149

[Bonsaitrees (Craig)]

Ma7t, it's a nice looking tree. Wire every branch now and roughly position them where "you" think they look good,don't cut/remove any more branches unless they are very very weak. Give it a while and once a couple of flushes of new leaves come thru it'll begin to look the part.