Not sure if anything happened, but the tree will not straighten out for years. It is not unusual for Gingko trees for sale (which are usually grafted male trees) to be growing rather crooked.

Crcash, Are we talking a slight bend like it isn't perfectly straight or a wild curve like a compound bow? A picture is worth 1,000 words. You can use a site like Photobucket to link in pictures.

If it is a slight curve I would say let it be. It will most likely grow out of it and not all trees need to be perfectly straight anyway. Booring, that's what plastic trees are for.

Should I be concerned?

I have no idea with the information provided.

Dan

I would call the bend slight. The tree trunk was straight but was laid down for 24 hours in a trailer bed against something and the bow developed. Like I said, the man that I have hired to put the tree in is confident it's not a big deal and will straighten back out quickly sense the tree is limber

I'm a little surprised that an 11' ginkgo would be lanky enough to develop such a bend by just laying on its side for 24 hours. It would be nice to see it.

It would also be nice to see what the guy that planted it did so far as staking (if anything). We see so many bad planting jobs described here, it might also be interesting to see how the guy planted the tree, just for kicks.

agree.. w/o a pic.. just about useless to speculate ... but that never stops us.. lol ...

if it were me.. i would just slightly skew it at planting.. so that it is basically upright.. and skip the staking completely ...

unless you have incredibly poor clay soil ... i would also avoid staking .. but for one stake on the side that the prevailing winds will come from ...

and it would be lightly tied ... to allow some movement...

but i have never bought an 11 foot tree ... so maybe it needs more staking ...

ken

thanks for the replies...i will try to get a picture today, but as you can imagine, the weather is as bad where I am as it is across the country. The tree was supposed to be 6-7ft, but the grower had some larger ones that he wanted to get rid of, so he sold me the 11ft for the same price. Overall, very pretty tree. I think the staking will be done with a delicate touch. The same person staked an oak last year and it has done well.

I am not a fan of staking trees ordinarily, but young ginkgos have very soft wood that will develop a bend like that pretty easily compared to other trees. a single stake right against the trunk should do the trick. Again, I don't like to do it, I don't think you need to do it, but will it work? Yes.

a single stake right against the trunk should do the trick

This is incorrect technique. Don't do this. Especially in light of not having seen the plant.

Dan

"...young ginkgos have very soft wood that will develop a bend like that pretty easily compared to other trees."

Not in my experience.

"(A) single stake right against the trunk should do the trick."

Never stake a tree that way!

Tying a single stake closely to the trunk makes the tree bend away from the stake. In more serious bends you can use that to your advantage in lessening the curve -but it wouldn't be at all useful in this case.

What's wrong with a slight bend? Are you growing the Ginkgo for lumber?
A slight bend that happened over a 24 hr. period is likely to straighten itself after planting.
I'd let the guy you hired to plant it determine if it should be staked and how. You can always 'Monday morning quarterback' it afterward.
Send us a picture if possible.
Mike

It's very windy at times where I live. I use a single stake on the upwind side of the tree about 8 inches from the trunk and tie it loosely. The idea is to allow movement while the roots are getting established. Once the tree shows some good growth I take the stake away. I had one tree that I forgot to tie but it grew so fast I didn't even bother.

I find bends and irregularities picturesque. I have a juniper with a distinct bend in the trunk that looks awesome.

So....problem solved. Bend is not a problem.
Eleven feet in a windy are should probably be staked. The size of the rootball has a lot to say in that. Bareroot, or nearly so, I'd stake it. The leaves are gonna come out before the roots get a grip, and catch the wind. Over it goes.

Is it planted yet?

Staking it too loose, then the rootball will rock back and forth. The roots won't be able to establish themselves to the surrounding soil. Too tight, and you have constriction problems with the tie. In between, is usually the right way to go. Understanding the parameters is the key.
Mike.....I stake less than 5% of what I plant.