Developing wild olives for bonsai

Learn how to develop collected olives from a stump into a bonsai tree using the techniques described in this tutorial with Terry Erasmus.
Some further reading includes, a step by step article on developing an award winning olive shohin:
www.bonsaitree.co.za/blogs/tr...
Get access to my popular, free e-book on post collection tips of wild olives. Read it here:
www.bonsaitree.co.za/blogs/tr...

[@grahamjones548]

I found this information very useful as I have been struggling to get my olive to grow over the last 4 years now hopping for some growth this year 2023

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Glad it was useful Graham. Good luck for 2023 then.

[@baldyeti]

Just wow, Terry. You know how to bring the knowledge. Very informative without being dry. This answered several questions I have about Olive. I can’t seem to locate any wild olives growing in Alaska USA (hehe) so I’m stuck with twig cuttings. We’ve started year 2 though, very impressed it survived the winter and is now putting out new growth. Plus it propagated very easily, so I now have several twigs to develop and use different techniques. Now, with your knowledge, my manipulation and the tree’s sheer will to survive, we might just get a decent Mediterranean tree or two on the arctic tundra yet.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Gee @baldyeti I never knew you could propagate olive from cuttings! I guess because I have never tried. We are fortunate never to need to with the amount of wild material around. But good on you for doing that and keeping them going, seems like a real challenge!

[@dermo1981]

Excellent Terry..... As usual! Always look forward to your videos. Top class! Thanks again. Dermot

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for following!

[@SamDoeckeAussiebonsaibloke]

Great video Terry. 📹 Lots of information packed in 😀

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dawud7791]

Wow Terry! Beautiful trees!!! Absolutely stunning! Thanks for sharing the info!!!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks for watching!

[@williamgoodwin9667]

Another great video Terry keep up the great work I cant wait for the next video. Always hope you are having fun with everything and your family is well 😁👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👌🏼

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks William. If I stop being passionate about bonsai that’s the day I should “put my scissors down.”

[@mcbabs7495]

Un grand merci à vous pour le partage de votre expérience!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Merci encore d'avoir regardé !

[@angry9901]

Thanks for the vid,, great info. Appreciate you taking the time.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching

[@Kurtlane]

Hi, Terry. A question and a comment. 1. When you say "flat cut the trunk," do you mean cutting the trunk at the level below the lowest branch, and at the same time cutting off the roots? So that there are no leaves and no roots? Would such a thing survive and grow? 2. You should see some really old olives that people have been modifying all that time. For example, you can look at the olives at the Gethsemane garden in Jerusalem. They are up to 2000 years old, and are stunning. There are very few if any thick branches there, just enormous trunks with lots of thin branches on top. Of course, these trees have been cared for bu people all that time, but these masses of unknown people are a force of nature, if you know what I mean. I wanted to add a bit more about some other species, but KZbin does not allow me to use Latin names. Apparently I can write "Desert Rose," but I cannot write its Latin name. Total craziness. Thanks.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Kurtlane. 1. Read this blog I wrote for a detailed explanation: www.bonsaitree.co.za/blogs/tree-talk/8-tips-for-post-collection-care-of-wild-olives 2. I have indeed seen them. However where I live olives grow wild. Really wild, as in nobody has ever pruned them. I am inspired by the trees you refer to but they are as you say also artificial being pruned. 3 I am not sure what you mean as I use botanical names all the time: olea europea subp africana, Lagerstroemia indica, Rhododendron indica etc.

[@rosanadancel7225]

Yes, thank you, how about video about collecting it.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Rosana for the suggestion. I will try to do this next time. Have you read the blog where I show step by step the process? It’s not video but there is text and plenty of photos. www.bonsaitree.co.za/blogs/tree-talk/8-tips-for-post-collection-care-of-wild-olives

[@bravofoxable]

very informative, thanks Terry. My favorite is wild olive yamadori, we are fortunate here in sunny SA hey?

[@angry9901]

Funny how in SA, South Australia, the Olives grow like weeds in the paddock. Farmers dig them out all the time. Must have very similar climate to SA, South Africa.🤯

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Frans. Yes, we are fortunate to have so much material so readily available. I am also excited about the fact that we are only beginning to scratch at the potential for this species in South Africa.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

I think we do have very similar climates, hence why many South African's consider Australia and surrounds for emigration.

[@arnopienaar8111]

Baie geleer,dankie weereens

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Baie dankie Arno!

[@waynes3606]

Terry a question on transitioning a 40 year old group setting of olives from soil to Akadama, should this be done gradually leaving Shin area untouched and only the outer area of the setting have the Akadama introduced, or can they be bare rooted and be reported entirely into Akadama?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Great question Wayne. When it comes to conifers I would say that I’d definitely recommend a period of time over which to move the trees into a completely different media. With olives which are broadleaf evergreens I’d say it’s not that important. I’m fact I cannot think of a reason to transition it. However, a group of 40 year old olives (by this I am going to assume bonsai for 40 years and not some estimated age from a seed) might benefit from a more controlled approach. So perhaps for this group replace 50% and then 2 years later the rest.

[@waynes3606]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai thankyou Terry, and yes Bonsai for 40 years, a setting from my teacher a long time friend. Thankyou again.

[@mohetower]

The best content, always be well How can I contact you and send some pictures to correct my mistakes and share my work?❤

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks so much! Sure. I offer an international consultation service. You can find it here: www.bonsaitree.co.za/products/consultation

[@nancyfahey7518]

When chopping the roots do you pot it and water it right away? Or heal the cut first before planting?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Please read this blog I wrote Nancy: www.bonsaitree.co.za/blogs/tree-talk/8-tips-for-post-collection-care-of-wild-olives

[@oussamachaachoui3727]

Beautiful olive trees collection I'm enjoying your talking There is moss in the nebari of trees, I think olive trees don't like it?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you for the compliment and comments. Why do you say olive trees dont like moss? I would certainly agree that moss on the trunk is not good as it will ruin the bark because it will cause it to rot. However I am not aware of a reason why olives would not appreciate a moss top dressing.

[@darrenfisherman3838]

Have you got a video doing a olive tree with a dremel?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Yes. Please check the channel or check the olive playlist.

[@sabikmercuriobravo5976]

Very informative video. It is very unlucky for me because i can not have a yamadori olive in my country (México). Do you have any advise to work with serdlings of olea europaea sylvestris???

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Sorry to hear that Sabik. Is there some other species you can use as yamadori? Juniper perhaps? Otherwise sure, you can grow olive from seed, but as I mentioned it is a slow process. I would suggest you aim to grow shohin sized trees as this can then be achieved in a shorter period of time. Good luck!

[@sabikmercuriobravo5976]

Yes there is for sure, you know, walking on that line it is very complex for me. We have plenty of native species that we can collect but there is not experience of anybody that i know that really understand the method of how to grow that specific species as bonsai, thats why i follow the experience of people like you that have the knoledge in a profesional way.

[@lequiaa]

I have been trying to find information on using trunk suckers as material. Is it possible to do some kind of air layering to utilize these?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Sorry Aaron but I’m not aware of anything you can use them for. I just cut them off and throw them away as I’m not sure going to develop olives from cuttings when old trunks are relatively freely available to dig up.

[@waynes3606]

How far into summer would defoliate?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

I don’t know, I don’t look at it like that. I defoliate typically at the beginning of the season. Only if the plant responds well and is very strong can you defoliate again. I would time it together with the growth spurts of the tree ie defoliate just prior to that.

[@bonsaimonkeypole3858]

What is the bonsai boost consist of? What are the nutrient levels?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Great question! Here’s the product link which has all the info you are after. www.bonsaitree.co.za/collections/fertilizers-and-baskets/products/bonsaiboost-organic-bonsai-fertilizer

[@kiljaypc]

Hi I have a olive tree, some leaves have turned yellow is this normal ? Also should I water every day as we are getting very hot weather now .

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

A few random leaves is normal. If all leaves are going yellow, this is a problem. Olives don’t necessarily love as much water as some deciduous trees but they don’t want to be as dry as pines and conifers in general. However they do not like to be kept wet constantly and will suffer root rot. So I cannot comment how often you need to water as this is determine by the amount of foliage, growing medium, type of pot etc. Just water to ensure the tree maintains some moisture in the container but is allowed to get fairly dry in between.

[@kiljaypc]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai Thank you ever so much Terry. Its ’always hard because I’m always worried about over watering..

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Perhaps consider using a freer draining mix then. It’s close to impossible to overwater then.

[@fredmanfv]

Hi Terry. Very interesting video again...thank you. I heard olives can be collected and cut flat in summer time to...is that true? I have two that has been grown in pots from seed...10yrs ago.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Hi Freddie. Who did you hear that from? Best ask them. I have not tried it in Summer but try it and let me know how it goes.

[@fredmanfv]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai I just went and checked again. They talk about that on Ausbonsai and Bonsainut. In Australia they collect big stumps in mid Dec....(high summer). I guess if they can, I can.....right? 😂

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

As I said, try it and let me know. Just because I’ve not done it and never heard of someone doing it doesn’t mean you cannot. I learn daily.

[@harrietb2141]

Love that little shohin😍.Does airlaying work on olivtrees?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Hi Harriet, thanks for the compliment! I have not air layered an olive before and I cannot recall seeing it done but I have every reason to believe that it will work. As I describe in the video, when we collect them they are treated as giant cuttings and they root. I would definitely give it a go if I were you, and let me know if you are successful please.

[@harrietb2141]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai Thank you for answer. I once had a little olivtree, but it died in wintertine. I live in Sweden so its Very could outside. I had to keep it indoor, and I guess it was to warm ,so I lost it. Wasen’t sure how to treat it.😔

[@helderoliveiraillustration]

Yes, airlaying works very well on olives. Here on south Europe, with a good root hormone olives will produce enough roots to survive in a month. Wild and European olives are very resistant trees.

[@harrietb2141]

@@helderoliveiraillustration Thank you Very much. I Will give it try☺️

[@alessandromassimo5717]

I cut flush the branches I like and put them in pumice with plastic bag on top and they root, 18 out of 20 last year. Sometimes I leave some extra branches in a corner of my garden to burn them in the winther and some of them create roots randomly

[@hogita]

Like your clip, pls come and review in Viet Nam!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

I have never been to Vietnam. Would love to visit some day. Thank you for watching.

[@hogita]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai pls sub and share my chanel if you like it!

[@Jay-mj5pv]

I hope to see more exciting videos like this one in the near future. You could easily get more people watching with P R O M O S M!!!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Noted!