newbie olive trim question

[jimmyjangles]

Hey all,

first of all apologies if this is the wrong place to post this.

anyway, acquired an olive bonsai the other day. my first bonsai
I'm thinking it needs a bit of a trim though? one branch is quiet a lot taller and longer then the rest of the plant, so feel as though this should be trimmed back? and maybe some of the leaves on the bottom part of the plant could come off?

im not sure though so any help/advice would be great

cheers

[Brian]

What size tree do you want ?
If it was mine, I would feed the heck out of it and let it grow to develop trunk thickness.

[Naimul]

from my experience with an olive starter like that is that they are quite slow to thicken, so if you want bigger trunk, its probably best if you transplanted into a bigger plastic pot and like Brian suggested, feed it plenty and let it grow.

[Ryceman3]

Ditto, the long leader can only help to thicken it up, any trimming now will just make the process a little slower. Feed, feed,feed... and then maybe feed it a bit more.

[dansai]

As this is your first tree the desire and temptation to do something will be quite strong. Unfortunately as has been advised, this is a young plant that needs lots of growing on to create an interesting trunk for anywhere from 2 to 10 years or more depending on what size you want it and how well you can grow it. And another 2 to 10 years to become a decent bonsai depending on the same. This type of stock will only be a "Stick in a pot" if you trim it. Best to plant in a bigger deep pot and do some reading on this site and especially the wiki (link in the scrolling text above or just below it on the right) and join a local club.

Steer clear of the bonsai you see at bunnings and the like as they basically small cuttings with a long road ahead to be something decent. If you can get to a Bonsai nursery and have a chat with the owner or staff, you will usually find them to be helpful, they could help you select something to play with. Or go look at a local nursery if you can't get to a Bonsai one and pick out a nice shrub with an interesting trunk. This will give you something to play with by trimming and shaping while the olive grows. Maybe get a few.

[shibui]

Hi Jimmy,
You have quite a few options. The others have already talked about letting it grow to thicken fro an impressive trunk but you can also grow a small, elegant tree. No doubt as a beginner you will want a 'bonsai' soon rather than waiting yeras for it to thicken up so I think your ideas are ok. Prune any long bits back inside the outline you have in your mind. Remember trees always grow bigger so don't be frightened of cutting back further than the size because it will grow out quite quickly.
Basically, the more you prune the quicker the tree will ramify and look more like a little tree. Feed lots, water well and trim often. Little trees till make great bonsai.

Meanwhile get hold of some other plants that you can put into bigger pots to thicken so that when you are ready you will have some great stock to produce impressive trees.

[jimmyjangles]

thanks for the help and ideas guys,
as most are saying to feed it i might feed it heaps and see what happens over the next few months.

next question though, how often should i feed it? was thinking once every week, is that a lot or not enough?

cheers

[kcpoole]

next question though, how often should i feed it? was thinking once every week, is that a lot or not enough?

cheers

It depends on many thing and the wiki will help
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... ser_basics

Ken

[fredman]

I have a similar one. Had it in a biggish pot the last 2 seasons. It grows quite easily really. This year I recessed the pot in a growth bed about 5 inches. Drilled a few holes around the sides of the pot to. This season it is going bonkers. All the plants I have in the soil like that is growing much faster than in the past when they were free standing.....