This is what you can do with a little daring and more than a little skill. The huge crack just up from the base of the trunk is intentional. Without it, there's no way this old tree is surrendering that first subtle bend and without the rebar and wooden peg there's no way the second larger bend is holding. This photo and the before photo below are from David Benavente's Estudio de Bonsai.
This post, which provides valuable tips on some relatively obscure bonsai techniques, is a mishmash from three previous posts.
Before. What would you have done?
This simple and clear illustration (from the ABS website) shows how to use a turnbuckle to lower a branch. The turnbuckle is made up of a single strand of wire, a short stick (or short piece of heavy wire) and two rubber pads to protect the branches. Beyond that, it needs no explanation.
Another clear illustration from same ABS article that shows one way to wire two, using a section of trunk as anchor. This illustration originally appeared in Debra Koreshoff's Bonsai, Its Art, Science, History and Philosophy (out of print). It was modified by George Buehler (on the ABS website).
Another pine and another radical technique. This cut will serve two purposes: first, it will make it easier to lower the branch, and second, it will provide a place to insert stones (yes, stones) to keep the branch from popping back up. This photo is originally from a Bill Valavanis’ open house back in 2011. We posted it under the title, Restyling A Stubborn Old Tree. It provides an excellent lesson in dealing with an old tree with defects that require radical measures to correct.
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Almost as impressive as the actually bending, is the skill to determine that there was enough potential in the original rather ordinary pine to warrant the time and energy needed to hollow, twist, and bend this now vastly-improved pine.
Turnbuckles – I’d like to know more – as in how much and how often? Do you turn the stick a half turn each time, or a whole turn, maybe two turns? And once a day, once a week or only once a month? Or is this a question on the same lines as how long is a piece of string?