I find moss in clay pots an easy way to grow Dens of this type. Moss makes it easy to provide constant even moisture during the warm months and then switch to drier conditions when it gets cooler. In my conditions bark requires extra watering when it's warm and is harder to gauge for dryness in the cool. YMMV, of course.
Oh, and I would leave any old growths/canes attached as long as they have signs of life, your new growths will establish faster with some 'backup'.