AusBonsai

This is my first ever bonsai, a feral olive tree I dug out of an Adelaide hill.

These pictures aren't great but the root system up close looks pretty exciting to me. It was growing partly on an underground rock and in future I'd like the roots exposed and growing over a small rock again in a wide shallow pot. Or maybe I can already start doing that?

I've got to cut it down drastically but firstly, any suggestions on what NOT to do? I'm planning on just sawing the two main stems to about 10 cm above the root at a 45 degree angle, and somehow trim the roots without killing it so that it fits in a pot. I wanted to keep it in a regular plant pot but the roots are so wide I'll probably have to buy a proper wide bonsai pot.

One day I'll join a bonsai club where I'll get lots of helpful information but because of very young children I can only use books and internet for now.

For goodness sake. Just cut the roots to fit whatever container you have. You can cut almost all the roots off an olive and it will still grow.

You can do the same to the trunks. Just cut them down to whatever height you think it needs. Remember that it will only grow up after so cut short enough to grow a new top. olives will sprout from bare wood and will sprout lots of shoots from the swollen base. Very hard to kill these.

I would not bother making a sloping cut just yet unless you are cutting just above a side branch. After collecting I just cut these off wherever looks good then wait for the new shoots to grow. Next year you can make a sloping cut near a convenient new shoot that will develop into the apex.
If you want it over a rock you can do that now or next year.

This is a feral tree I dug up 4 months ago, my first bonsai.

I cut the branches, trimmed the roots and it's growing new shoots. I have no idea what shape I'm aiming for though because it's bifurcated, and I haven't seen bifurcated bonsai before so I'm not sure what to do now.

Should I let all of the shoots grow for now and see where inspiration takes me, or start cutting away shoots already which might be pointless? Also can you suggest anything else I should or could do with this tree? Thanks in advance.

Four months on, first day of spring.

Four months ago I trrimmed the roots as suggested to fit in a wide shallow pot, and sawed off most of the two trunks. New shoots are growing all over.

Personally i would wait and let it grow all season, it will present more design opportunities.

You may separate both trunks and make two trees from it.

What soil is it growing in?

Bifurcated?
I assume you mean that it has a connected root or clump style?
If the trunks are similar style and in sympathy with each other then you can keep both as a clump or mother daughter style but too early to decide that.

Ken

Water and fertilise for now. Let the tree speak to you - bonsai is a long game.

It looks like the tree is planted in garden soil in that pot. Lucky it is an olive. They are really tough but you will need to be careful not to keep it too wet.
Soil is for plants in the garden. In general do not put soil into pots. Potting mix is for pots and that becomes more critical in shallow pots.

shibui wrote:It looks like the tree is planted in garden soil in that pot.

Actually it's in potting mix, but I left it in the corner of the garden and clay garden soil fell over onto the top layer. So it's growing in both.

I'm going to let it grow for at least another season. It's exciting to see the new shoots growing every single day. But I still can't see what shape to aim for.

kcpoole wrote:Bifurcated?
I assume you mean that it has a connected root or clump style

It's a single tree, but has two trunks rather than one. It's growing in potting mix but garden soil fell onto the top layer so the top is all clayish.

I'll let it grow for this season then maybe I'll find some inspiration. Seeing the new shoots grow bigger literally every day is pretty exciting to see in its own right.

I have merged both these threads in to the oe to avoid confusion as they both ask the same thing about the same tree.

Ken