What on earth are we going to do with this?
The branches are all on one side, and theres no taper in the trunk.
Why did I collect it in the first place?.

Ah, well, at first glance the prospects look dim but this is in fact perfect material for a raft planting.
This tree was growing on a shale bank and as a consequence the growth is mainly on one side of the trunk.

A raft planting is based on what happens in nature when a tree is blown over and continues to grow. In time the former trunk puts down roots and each branch takes on a life of its own and behaves like a new tree.

The stripped portion can be dusted with rooting hormone powder if you have it though this is not essential.
Then the whole thing is wired into a tray, a normal seed tray will do and the whole tree is given a good haircut.
A cut off plant pot can be useful if you have more original root that needs covering.

So there you have it, more than 5 minutes work but less than 30 and that includes taking photos. Detail wiring can now continue at leisure and a season of pinching will hopefully transform this throwaway material into something pleasing.

I have also found that new roots can be encouraged by scraping the soil away gradually around the original root ball. How quickly you do this depends on how confident you are. Watering sparingly at this end also can have a positive effect.

Eventually the original roots can be removed altogether but err on the side of caution if in doubt about the amount of new root produced.