AusBonsai

Yes wiring early on new growth with the olives is the key as I'm sure it is with with many other species too, as far as collecting go's everyone has their preffered method of ressurecting the beasts, wether thats soaking, digging at the right time of year, seasol or whatever, I've tried them all and now realise it doesn't seem to make much difference, last Spring I lifted two olives within a hundred metres of each other, soaked them, then planted them, one sprouted within weeks the other has only just taken off after more than twelve months and boy has it taken off, one I had took 18 months to resprout, I have also heard of one taking three years ... never give up on a dormant olive.

ozzy wrote: I have also heard of one taking three years ... never give up on a dormant olive.

I have heard this also.... quite amazing really isnt it. A few of my bigger trunks that were mentioned previously were definately dead though. No green under the bark at all...believe me.....i kept them till the last bit of life drained out of em. I can get more i guess, but i really liked two of them and had plans for them....oh well, thats Bonsai!
Peter

gentlemen when it come to the primary branches on those fatter trunks. especially the low ones i allow them to grow to a metre or so out in the first season so as to get the fat and proportion on the branch. by this stage they start to hang over with their weight and if not, their easy to pull down with a guy wire or a weight. to drag a branch forward or back is easy with a guy too. they set with beautiful natural arched movement ready to start new leaders and structure in the second season and when i would start to wire.

anttal63 wrote:gentlemen when it come to the primary branches on those fatter trunks. especially the low ones i allow them to grow to a metre or so out in the first season so as to get the fat and proportion on the branch. by this stage they start to hang over with their weight and if not, their easy to pull down with a guy wire or a weight. to drag a branch forward or back is easy with a guy too. they set with beautiful natural arched movement ready to start new leaders and structure in the second season and when i would start to wire.

Do you start them off on a horizontal path with weights or wire or something first? They tend to grow very vertically ortherwise. I let pretty much everything else start out like that except the Olives. The branches actually still thicken after they are cut back in the early stages, they do slow up a little but you can controll the growth easier...maybe. Not having let them grow like that makes me want to try one though Ant. Do you have a pic of one with the long growth happening at all.
Have you ever defoliated an Olive? I read somewhere that they respond very well to defoliation also. I would imagine that you wouldnt do it until they were already quite well structured. I might defoliate one just as an exercise and see how it responds.
Peter

peter they only stay vertical to a certain length then they start to sag. if i am going for a natural look i dont want the branches to exit horizontally. up, out and bow. the branches i dont want to thicken to fast i have to keep trimmed back and weight them. if im growing out apex sacrafice and want it in a certain position it has to be supported there other wise it will sag too. defoliation is no prob although i have only cut away the older bigger leaves. with the longer sacrifices i do only leave a few buds close in to the trunk and a few on the end and strip everything else in between off and continue to strip back as it elongates or buds back. marco taught us to do it that way and puts on growth very quickly. most of mine have been cut back after last years growth. here is the only long one i have. this was weighted, not because it was vertical but because i wanted the trunk exit angle to be totally declined this particular tree will not be naturalistic in its styling, at least not what we have seen. in majorca spain on the coastal cliffs they grow in a more declined nature.

anttal63 wrote:peter they only stay vertical to a certain length then they start to sag. if i am going for a natural look i dont want the branches to exit horizontally. up, out and bow. the branches i dont want to thicken to fast i have to keep trimmed back and weight them. if im growing out apex sacrafice and want it in a certain position it has to be supported there other wise it will sag too. defoliation is no prob although i have only cut away the older bigger leaves. with the longer sacrifices i do only leave a few buds close in to the trunk and a few on the end and strip everything else in between off and continue to strip back as it elongates or buds back. marco taught us to do it that way and puts on growth very quickly. most of mine have been cut back after last years growth. here is the only long one i have. this was weighted, not because it was vertical but because i wanted the trunk exit angle to be totally declined this particular tree will not be naturalistic in its styling, at least not what we have seen. in majorca spain on the coastal cliffs they grow in a more declined nature.

Thanks for that, i appreciate your time Ant.
Peter

Hey antonio is that your backyard? do you kids have enough room to play on that equipment with all those trees around
looks like you have some good stock there.

yes ketugt we are renting this place while we organise the buliding of our new home. the stock is coming along nicely thankyou thats only 30% of it. and yes first the trees then what ever is left the kids can have

We are building too at the moment, not enough room for Bonsai at the old place unfortunately so we bought a 1200 square metre block just outta town, had to move out of town as the average block in town now is only 3 to 400 square metres
The missus picked out the house, I couldn't care less about that, all I could think about was the size of the new shade house I was gonna get.

Nice one Ozzy! We've got to have our priorities right

thats wot im talkn about ozzie

ozzy wrote:We are building too at the moment, not enough room for Bonsai at the old place unfortunately so we bought a 1200 square metre block just outta town, had to move out of town as the average block in town now is only 3 to 400 square metres
The missus picked out the house, I couldn't care less about that, all I could think about was the size of the new shade house I was gonna get.

How all consuming is this hobby! I designed and built my own house and have been living in it for 3 years this comming January. Right from the placement of the house on the land i had bonsai in mind (didnt tell the wife that though). I moved the house over to one side as much as i could so i could get as big an area as possible for what will eventually be my finished display area. Its North facing, a little protection from surrondings, the house protects it from storms, good drainage. When i built the furniture inside i incorporated little niches into joinery to display trees. My wife didnt and still doesnt know that but she does enjoy it when i bring some inside for a day or two.
Peter

There's a man who gets his priorities right

Talking about sacrifice branches , these ones even have olives on them which you don't see very often on a bonsai olive, don't know wether they'll amount to much though, you reckon I was cursing this plant when I had to move, it took all my patience not to give it a haircut and set it back a couple of years.
Also a shot of it naked.

Also note the steel mesh attached to the grow box for pulling branches down.