This growing season, one of the trees I have been working on is an atlas cedar I bought as nursery stock. I have a few things I’d like to pose to the group.

First, after pruning back hard, do you have any recommendations for recovery? I’ve been giving the tree a kelp mix and lots of water. I also covered the top layer with moss, to prevent the soil from drying out too quickly. It’s also in a shady position (I don’t have a green house or cold frame). Lastly, I’ve covered all the cuts with paste.

Second, any additional suggestions for the design? I’m planning on doing some additional defoliating to the branches, bottom of the pads, and additional pruning on the top half of the tree. I didn’t want to take too much straight away, for fear the tree wouldn’t recover. Also, I haven’t started wiring yet.

Thanks in advance! I’ve added a photo of what the tree looked like back when I got it, and what it looks like now, after some initial pruning.

Cedar are not defoliated, you can prune the excess it looks like a good start, could do with wiring. Depends a lot on when it was re potted, if you did it this year then I would hold off doing a lot of ork until net year.

I really think the first big branch to the left is too straight and bare. I don't know if cedars backbud, but one option is to cut this thick branch to its first branchlet, as it is too thick already to be a nice branch.
The other option if it does backbud, is to promote it to be a secondary trunk, and make it bud to the left.
Nice tree!