AusBonsai

Hi all... i have this olive which im in love with.. I really want a nice crown. Can any one give me any tips on styling a crown. Also is ants a problem on olives?

Goff, whats the plan for the straight boring midtrunk section ,a little carving maybe.

for a crown you need to decide on a leader and direction and the some primary branch positions . Not definately saying like this but something along these lines.

If you have ants on it, have a close look for other infestations. You might find you have scale or aphids or something like that which are attracting the ants. Craig has given you good advice, before you consider developing a crown, you might want to start developing the "skeleton" of the tree.

Hi Goff, if it were my tree I just received, I would cut that straight thick bit of trunk off and start that part again as it has grown to thick, straight and long.

Mick

One of the senior members of my club told me this could be a classic pine style with the real dome looking crown. He explained it to me how to do it but i didn't really get it. What i understand was to wire branches out to form a flat base. Like my very bad virt. The plan is to carve all the way down the trunk.

Hi Goff i came up with this possible design for your tree because of the sharp bend near the base with some shoots there it may be possible to do a cascade design. You could then cut back the main trunk about where i got the red line or you could leave it an later carve it like you said im a big fan of dead wood on trees an olive are great for this as they grow like weeds

Here is a quick design that i came up with picture is below

Hey Goff,

Why would you want an olive to look like a pine? Isn't that what pines are for??

Here is where I think your tree is in this one.
I'd cut it right back to that branch and then feed feed feed and grow grow grow. You'd end up with a potentially very very powerful little tree. It will take a lot longer, but I think the straight section kinda spoild the fantastic base on this tree. I can see why you like it so very much!

Cheers,

Andrew

Andrews suggestion to cut back the top hard and make a much smaller tree is the solution.
The straight section is too long to make anything useful of unless you want to carve it, and then it will still be too long. Maybe the apex of the foliage 1/2 way along it from a new branch, and then carve the top as Jin extending out of it but that may well be too pine like

Ken

Andrew Legg wrote:Here is where I think your tree is in this one.

Andrew has got it. The tree would be very powerful in a few years. There is also a semi cascade in there if you were to cut it off at the lowest point. It is difficult to cut away a large part of the tree but necessary if you want a quality tree. I have done it many times and a better tree emerged.

Yep Andrew you da man !!!

All great suggestions!! Just got to make up my mind

bodhidharma wrote:

Andrew Legg wrote:Here is where I think your tree is in this one.

Andrew has got it. The tree would be very powerful in a few years. There is also a semi cascade in there if you were to cut it off at the lowest point. It is difficult to cut away a large part of the tree but necessary if you want a quality tree. I have done it many times and a better tree emerged.

Yes I would cut back as Andrew suggests but since you still seem unsure I will add that apart from making the tree shorter and better shaped you are not losing anything. There are no advanced shoots above this that are any more useful than the leader you will be left with and it will be sure to put out lots more that will grow to that same size before spring next year.
So yes whatever plan you take I would say cut. Time is starting to run out but early Autumn is a good time to do this on olives. So i would cut now

Hi Goff,

I'd agree with cutting it back hard, or just juni most of it & I know it's hard when your only new to bonsai & everyone is telling you to cut back hard, but in five year's time you will have a very nice tree & then if you do not cut it back you will have lost those five year's of development, but that's only anyway what ever you do just enjoy it as that's what this thing called Bonsai is all about

Regard's The Hacker

Whatever path you take, you are not going to have a "finished" tree so to speak for at least 3-5years, maybe more. I know its daunting to chop so much off of your pride and joy, but you will not regret it in the long run. I recently bought a 3metre trident maple and cut it back to about 20cm with a 2cm leader. The leader is now about 30cm long and its only been a few months, but it has doubled in girth. Ultimately it is your tree, but there are consensus on what to do seems to be to chop it where Andrew said. All of the people who agreed with him are experienced and I would take their agreement to mean its the only way to make this tree worthy of its powerful base.

When you chop it, it will shoot buds everywhere, so just rub off the ones in the wrong spots, and keep the ones where you want branches. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Maybe bring it back to the next workshop and ask for more advice from more people to see what they would do if it were their tree??

Great tree, and agree with the trunk chop and new leader. In a few years of growth it will be a nice tree! I have one and didnt chop it for ages... Then bit the bullet and chopped... Much better for the chop! In the end it's up to you. Keep us all updated.