Japanese Black Pine - Trunk advice during repot

[A tangent too far]

Hi There,

I've been told that Pot selection is a personal matter and i have narrowed it down to two pots.
However my query is less about the pot itself and more about the issue of the straight section of trunk.

JBP.jpg

This is the first potting from a black plastic pot into something more fitting.
The issue I'm trying resolve is the trunk doesnt get interesting until a good way up.

The first pic below is what i have just placed it in which doesn't do much to address this part of the tree.
I considered angling the trunk to the left but this would result in the pads all being on the same horizontal plane.

JBP square pot.jpg

The second image is my other option and i considered dropping it lower in the cascade pot to reduce the distance.
Of course i then lose any visibility of the nebari, guess i just have to choose one or the other.

JBP Cascade Pot.jpg

I'm leaning towards the second pot and losing the nebari in favour of reducing the visibility of the straight section but advice from the forum is welcomed and encouraged as I'm keen to learn more on critiquing trees.

Thank you so much.

[Akhi]

Can you pls do a picture from another angle, the section which you say is straight seems to have a bend albiet when looked at from the left side I think. If the is the case, would be an idea to consider to change the front and wire the branch section to an angle.

[KIRKY]

You don’t have to be stuck trying to make it fit into a pot so it looks good. If your not happy with the overall look it’s easy enough to change with wire.
That Pine trunk doesn’t look too thick. You can wire more movement into it. You could still plant it on an angle and just wire the top of it to change the direction of the pads. Use wire, guide wire, plastic ties, etc… to create something you are happy with. Your only limited by your own imagination.
As a for instance I had a cascade Pine I absolutely hated. One day after a few hours wiring repositioning it became an informal upright. To this day I’m still happier with it than I ever was as cascade.
Cheers
Kirky

[shibui]

I'm totally with Kirky. Just because it is like this today does no mean that it has to be so for ever.

Look at ways to wire and bend the upper section.
Look at ways to change the angle of the trunk.
Look at other viewing angles with the above factors also in mind.

I'm certain there is a much better tree in there but burying the trunk is probably not the best way to find it.

[ATangentTooFar]

Thanks for the advice.
I’ve decided to leave in the square pot for now. Agree with not burying the nebari.

Going to focus on the ramification for now and if I feel the need go back to some heavy trunk bending.

Sometimes it’s just good to get a few suggestions. The voices in my head can’t always be trusted.

[shibui]

The voices in my head can’t always be trusted

I've found that too.

Sometimes it’s just good to get a few suggestions.

A few suggestions are great but always remember that you are the owner and designer and need to take final responsibility for the design.
Photos on the net are also unreliable sources of design ideas. Only you can see the whole tree in its entire 3D glory and pick up on subtle bends and direction that we can't fully appreciate. What we think is a good idea may not practically work because of some unseen feature, unseen root or where a branch comes from or goes to.

I've found that a year or 2 in planning does not really affect the results and often gives a better outcome than hurrying to completion so take your time.

Good luck with the development and design as it evolves.