AusBonsai

hi all
i read on one of the posts ( english elm show winning nebari ) about flat bottoming olives. how does one go about doing this as i have dug up a olive that was growing in my garden and planted it in some very gritty sand , it has sent out a lot of suckers but it has a big ball at the bottom and i was wondering how to reduce this.
regards
peterb

Hi Peturb ,
Flat bottom simply means removing the bulbous section at the desirable position somewhere midway up the bulb so as to have a largest flat base as possible .A chainsaw is the best method ,a handsaw will gum up and jamb .I have used a bow saw with extra set on the teeth for clearance however you need a saw set to do the job properly. Some say to then cut / trim the bark off at a 45 degree angle to aid the rooting process , i have never tried it . I simply cut and plant .Pick the biggest and best position for the required finished bonsai remembering that it will be buried 30-50mm below the soil ,The root however usually grow from the cut base . All olives cut or not will sucker up continually , simply rub the new shoots of to save wasting energy growing unwanted shoots Hope this helps .

Cheers Alpineart

thanks alpineart
that puts a lot of light on the subject, it's amazing how tough these olives are, is the soil i'm using the correct way to go.
regards
peterb

Hi peterb, i use coarse river sand so it should be fine . They tend to drink a lot so i sit mine in a wet-bed/sand tray , this maintains the moisture needed for the new roots .

Cheers Alpineart

thanks alpineart
my olive, she's a coming up to loose a bit of weight. advice is much appreciated.
regards
peterb

Hey Peter,

Just give her a good old rinse off with a hose becasue sand and chainsaws do not go well together. I cut my cambium at 45 degrees (i run a die grinder with a straight edged router bit) to try to get the roots to come out at 45 degrees and not straight down. Don;t have huge experience with this, but it kinda just makes sense to me. It also exposes a greater surface area on cambium.

Good luck