This is my second attempt at a home depot dwarf Alberta spruce. I'm form northern Montana. The tree is ten years old and 27" tall. I dont wire, just prune to shape. I bury the whole pot in the ground over winter and the heavy snow also helps to shape is as well. I mistakenly pot bound it over winter two years ago and that kill a few branches. Ive only pruned the roots once. I peeled off all the neddles that were at least four years old and that's when the lichens started to grow on the top third of the tree. Any of the pruning I do now is to just clip off any buds that are growing straight up.

Let it grow a few more years, and study. You might consider a bigger pot or planting it in the ground. It's cool enough in Montana to get away with either thees days.

Are there drain holes in your pot?

Yes I drilled drain holes the two gallon pot. Don't think I will ever put it in the ground or a regular bonsai pot. They are not as difficult a tree as I was led to believe, and I have gotten at least one or two instances of back budding in the last few years. I added another picture of a bud from this year on wood that's at least five years old and covered with lichens, and a picture of the trunk. I'm very happy with the sparse look of it.

Nice. I have the same experience with das. Mines backbud really easily on old wood.

However, I have heard several experienced bonsai keepers saying they dont backbud. Dont know the reason for that, but would be happy to understand why.

Here is pictures over winter. The snow really helps to flatten the branches and crown.

Unfortunately the das is very flexibla and the branches will hot set like this. In my experience it is better to selectivly prune branches growing in the wrong direction rather than trying to manipulate them to another.

The snow perfectly flattened the branches, but I did not understand the essence of the problem?

Hm, I dont think there are any problem, just a nice picture of a tree with snow on.

Or do you mean the flexibility of spruce branches? They are almost impossible to set branches on using wire. When you remove the wires they just move back to the original location. The same happens when the snow melts. I have heard that it is possible to set them if you are persistent and wire several years in a row. I am not.

i am training a little spruce for 4 years now. Looks nice with wire on, but unwire and 2 days later all branches are upwards again.