Shimpaku trunk Question

Here is my shohin Shimpaku. For scale, the pot is 6 inches, about 15 cm.



Don't tell me about the weak first branch. I'm working on it.
This illustrates the problem of nurseries not repotting their trees carefully. When I bought it at a workshop, the trunk was about an inch shorter, and its straightness & lack of taper were not so glaring. When I went to put it in its present pot, the true base was an inch below the old soil line, so now I have a nice little tree on top of a telephone pole.
Part of the solution is to encourage the bottom branch to grow big enough so I can have part of it in front of the trunk. I can't bend it around because it is cracked. But I would really like to get even a teensy curve in that straight trunk. It is 1/2 inch, about 1 1/4 cm caliper, and too stiff to bend by hand. Are there any techniques I can use to bend the trunk without killing the tree? A clamp? Am I too fussy and should I leave it as is?
Iris

I don't know anything about bending a trunk that size, but the straight section, I didn't notice. I think this is because it is leaning and gives it natural looking movement. Personally, I wouldn't worry about the lower section and like what you are dong with this tree.

Thanks for sharing.
Steve

I agree with Steve. You've probably stared at it too long.

However, if you don't like that lower branch . . .



. . . get rid of it.

Thanks. I will keep the first branch and try to improve it.
Iris

I agree with the others. To "hide" the perceived straight bit, perhaps at the next repot you could reposition it so that the angle of lean is more pronounced. In my opinion the only downside of this tree is its slight thinness of trunk rather than any straightness, and if it were mine I'd be trying to get it to fatten up without losing any of its height.

I like it though. It is a graceful tree.

if you still want to bend the trunk, a branch bender will work on that size trunk, though it may make a couple dents in the trunk at the point of contact...

Too bad I don't live closer. Raffia and heavy wire I can bend that. Maybe get it all bound up with the raffia and wire and get yourself a big strong guy to put a bend in it.

Hello Iris, I tend to agree with Fiona regarding the more pronounced slant ... except it's shimpaku: Queen of Bonsai. Always sought after and valuable so in my opinion anything we can do to enhance will be time well spent. Were it mine I would split the trunk 2/5s of the way down and give a teensy bit of bend to each 'half' away from each other. That would help in more than one way:
Looks like a natural occurrence.
Gives movement to the straight bit.
Gives the illusion of taper.
Gives a slight bit of deadwood.
Actually builds taper over time, the left side with the majority of foliage will bulk at a faster rate than the the left while the unsplit base builds girth from both.
On the plus side there's no risk to the tree, takes less than an hour, and if you don't like the results it probably won't bother you much more than it now does. It will have to remain in it's cast for awhile though. If you decide to go that way I can give details.
Mike

Just saying...Leave the trunk alone, prune up the foliage to develop dense Pads, add some unique Ying rock, more Moss...just saying.

Chuck

The die is cast; the Master has spoken. I took the tree to open workshop with Bill Valavanis. He nixed trying to bend it. His suggestion was similar to Mikeyeye. Next time I repot, split the bottom of the trunk a little. That will add some taper safely. Meanwhile, the base has been growing, which adds to the illusion of some taper. Now to take the wire off.
Iris