Olive shaping and growth Hokidachi journal

[benny332]

Hi everyone,

First time poster here. I have been an avid admirer of bonsai and Japanese culture for a long time. I have started my bonsai addiction with a $30 Olive I picked up and this years Southern Bonsai club meeting in South Australia. My aim for this bonsai is some form of Hokidachi, although that might change.

Anyway, I saw great potential in this bonsai. I left it in its pot for several weeks before touching it. But the other day I got around to shaping it, as growth was strong and I didnt want the olive branches to harden before I got around to initial shaping. Anyway, took a couple of very quick photos.

Before. Very straight initial budding. Not too much in terms of interesting branch shape. I did like how there were alot of branches all around the trunk though.
https://goo.gl/photos/Hq24xS5dYUoFJ3Av9

After I removed several overlapping branches and added some wire.
https://goo.gl/photos/HZ5rGREVQiZF7D4P9
https://goo.gl/photos/Hf8mHBRqSfg1Gsfd9

Anyway, any tips/advice welcome. Hoping this warmer weather encourages more growth, love watching it grow weekly. Will keep this updated.

Cheers,

Ben

[Watto]

Hi Ben, and welcome. This is a great resource and the help provided is good and given freely.
Just in relation to your new darling, the straight branches do not do it for me, and as you have shaped most of them in a form of arching movement, I would recommend that all of them have similar movement.