Graft, layer, or leave it?

I have a Scot's pine I bought for a decent price... for obvious reasons... anyway I want to layer it and get some better taper to this tree. I have searched everywhere on the internet and books and have found almost nothing on this exact tree. I know most people will say it's not possible, but I've seen it done on white and black pines. If it works, great... but if it doesn't, well then I'm left with a tree that has a nasty scar ring around the base.

Also, I was wondering if I could graft scions to the base to try and thicken it, even though that would take years and years and most likely not even work, and still leave me with scarring.

Lastly, should I just leave it alone and enjoy the unique tree?! Please feel free to comment!

I just bought this new pot for recently from Iker pottery! I think it looks a lot better, but tell me what you think!?

It seems that the trunk below the first branches is actually a root? If it is a root you are going to have a difficult time correcting it.

I can not advice on the species but the bulging is a real problem.

Any possibilities of putting it back in the garden or a growth box?

Lennard

I was informed before I bought it that this tree was grown in the ground to begin its life and was accidentally buried almost to the first branch.

I would remove the two lowest branches and put it in the ground with a tourniquet just under the widest point on the trunk, then be patient..

Dave

If you let that tall branch grow free you will exacerbate the problem. The lower branches are also too high to help with the problem. Air layering is not a sure thing in Pines, I know some people have done it....... but the success rate is low.
A possible solution is to graft 3-5 seedlings at the swelling by either thread graft or inarch grafting. Thread grafting is usually most successful, but with Pines more difficult because of the needles. Approach or inarch grafting would be easiest in this case.
This would give you roots at the desired location, and you can use the lower branches as sacrificial branches to enhance the future Nebari   

I would have to agree with Arihato here. Thread grafting seedlings where you want the new base to be is the best plan of action. I have not had success with air layering pines and would not lean that direction from my experiences. Thread grafting small seedlings would still take a few seasons before you could remove the lower roots.

Todd

I have that in arch grafting of pine seedlings to improve the roots of pines works fairly well. I would use fairly small seedlings and use enough so that you are leaving strips of live bark about the width of the seedlings between the seedlings. I have found that you need to make the trough/trench for the seedlings slightly deeper than the diameter of the seedling. I then put a short piece of bamboo skewer over the buried part of the seedling and bind the whole thing with raffia. This insures that the tree grows over and around the seedling and just does not push it out of the trough. Let the seedlings grow wild and get good growth in the rest of the tree.

Should I use JBP seedlings for their roots or stick with Scots seedlings???

I have generally used the same at the main tree. However, I think I have some mixed systems that seem to be working as long as I made the troughs deep enough.

Carve it, poke it,split it a little, scar it up and hope for the best. Then do something unusual with the rest.