Hey there. I have a 3-4 year old chinese elm that I bought from Amazon, and in my inexperience with bonsais, I'm having trouble knowing whether or not some of these branches are dead or not. If so, would it be wise to go ahead and cut them off?? I've attached pictures. Please provide any input you might have! Thanks guys!

Look carefully. You will see that the branch changes color. The green bark is alive. The brown is not. You can remove the brown. Or remove the whole branch flush with the trunk.

that branch looks unnecessary to the overall shape and design of the bonsai, I believe that you could be able to turn it into a nice jin

BonsaiGrasshopper7 wrote:

that branch looks unnecessary to the overall shape and design of the bonsai, I believe that you could be able to turn it into a nice jin

Yin on an elm? Don't think so.