Fallen Tree Style / Raised Raft Pomegranate

[Esolin]

I dug this piece out of a pomegranate clump a month ago. I'd planted the pomegranate 25 years ago as a fruit tree, but the location was terrible so it never thrived or produced much fruit. Mostly it was left to fend for itself until I recently decided to remove it. That's when I saw some potential in this particular piece as a sort of elevated forest/raft. Not really sure of the exact technical term for this style. I haven't tried my hand at designing a deciduous tree before, so this is an experiment for me.

Anyway, one of the trunks seems considerably weaker than the others. It's pushing a few high buds, but so far is nowhere near as vigorous. Should I remove it and have a 'taboo' even number of trunks + more negative space down low, or try to save it and hope it gains vigor? Thoughts on the styling direction are welcome.

Current state:


Keeping all trunks



Remove the weak trunk:

 

[ShadyStump]

I find the second one with the weak trunk removed better. The issue with having and even number trunks is the mind likes to group things, and an even number let's the mind make even groups forcing the eye to focus on the division instead of the living parts themselves.
It doesn't seem like yours has that problem here. The 6 trunks are naturally spaced so that the eye can't group them any other way.
of course in person that may be different. I am looking at it in 2D after all.

 

[Michael P]

I suggest you keep the weak trunk for now and see what happens. Don't obsess about the number of trunks, you have a pleasing and interesting composition with 6 or 7.