if you just rooted them this winter.. i suggest you pot them up ... and then leave them alone for a year or two ... to mature the root mass ....

you dont mention how large .. or much else .. a pic might be worth a thousand words ...

welcome to the forums ....

with trees.. think in tree time ...

ken

Thanks for the response :) They are still very small. 2-4” tall. Can’t take a picture atm. They were rooted last summer, and have been in a bed overwinter. I’ll dig them up and pot them soon, and check on the root system.

is there anything wrong with its natural shape ... if not .. whats to prune ...???

regardless .... i wouldnt be cutting on a 2 to 4 incher ... whats to cut???

think in tree time ... when they are a foot or two tall ... perhaps they might need a bit of guidance ... but that a long way off ...

also ... can they be left in the bed... i wonder why they would need potting???? .. whats your evil plan.. in that regard???

ken

Thank you for trying to help. Perhaps I should rephrase what information I’m looking for. :) I am much more familiar with propagating deciduous shrubs. And with such a cutting, I know that if I were to leave a single stem cutting unpruned, it would grow up and up and up, and would turn into a very stringy, gangly shrub, if a shrub at all. It might not ever send off side branches. So my course of action would usually be to cut it off at about three or 4 inches, to promote multiple branches.

So what I’m wondering is, is such a course necessary at any point with a conifer, or will it naturally branch out on it’s own accord?

and lol, No evil plan with regards to potting. I just have more control over drainage, moisture, nutrition etc. in a pot. Not to mention I can more easily keep it out of reach of the dog, cat, and children. :)

i always used the proper latin name .... and search engines pix to define the long term of a plant ;..

i have done so for you below.... let me suggest most.. if not all have never been sheared for any reason ... it might ruin the whole point of it being a 'mop' ... eh ...

one other thing i note.. conifers are trees ... yet you are comparing it to your shrub background ... most peeps dont go topping trees.. to make them branch out ... they do it themselves ...

imo.. leave them alone.. re: pruning ...

good luck .. ken

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Chamaecyparis+pisifera+%27Golden+Mop%27&t=ffcm&iax=images&ia=images

Ok! Thank you. I think you answered my question. I’ll leave them to grow and do their thing. :)