Styling Collected Wild Olives - Part 3

[@mattdemoraes]

Great video and tree folks!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@bonsaibuenobyalexb]

Nice material and initial styling...Will wait for the update of this tree...Happy Monday..😍👍👍

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you very much!

[@oussamachaachoui3727]

Beautiful video thank you for explanation I like the conversation Bravo 👏👏👏

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you Sir!

[@Bonsaifly]

Will we see this tree again? I’m curious to see how it turns out once the branches thicken

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Yes, will definitely feature it again as soon I can. Just want it to develop little more so one can see the development easily.

[@garagepie]

Great video!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Glad you like it!

[@jimijamesmarshall2328]

That's very interesting what you both were discussing about initial lines and the transitioning of the trunk to branch size. This issue is something that I have struggled with over the years I've been growing them as many of my collected olives have quite large trunks. I always tended to prune them back too early to develop secondary and tertiary branching but always ended up with either short stubby disproportionate branches or, as you said, like a pom pom effect. I have progressed to letting them grow out more and I wire to shape the start but once I get the length I want I prune the tips off to start ramification. Looking at how you guys did it here I'm still cutting the tips off too early. I see now that you grow them to thicken before cutting back hard and developing new shoots from the bare stubs. I've never used the partial defoliation mixed with wiring for initial shape that you did here and will definitely be doing that in the future. I live in South Australia and the olive (ours is Olea Europea but pretty much the same as your African olives) is a very popular tree to collect and train for bonsai, we have many and they are very easy to find as they're a pest tree here. Thanks to you both as it's valuable information!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks for sharing that feedback. From what I see, most people seem to be in a massive rush to get to ramification and spend very little time on developing the structure of these collected trees. It does take a few years or even more, if the collected tree is large, but in my opinion well worth the effort in the long run. The "partial" defoliation really produces a lot of inner shoots as they take advantage of the increased sunlight levels, but as you are not cutting the tip you do not stunt the sacrifice branches. Anyway glad you enjoyed the video and plan to try out some of the techniques to see if they work for you.

[@jimijamesmarshall2328]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai Yes, will definitely be trying your technique. Funny thing about olives, they're such a common tree to use where I live but there's not a lot of specific info on care and training anywhere, people tend to generalize about them as they're so easy to collect and grow. I follow some of the European growers as their 100+ year old trees are amazing but again, there's not a lot of info available that is specific like what you've described. I find little bits here and there though as I always look at olive info when I see it.

[@oscarvidalquist]

You'll probably find much more info in spanish look at @medibonsai and @davidbenavente

[@pachyplant]

It there an update to this tree? Would love to see how it is now, how the deadwood has aged etc.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks so much for the request. Actually no, there has been no update as yet. Too much other work to do but hopefully I will get to it really soon. If you’re subscribed you will get a notified. Many thanks for watching.

[@starkconde]

Nice video. When I wire my olives in South Africa, I find there is often a high instance in die-back of the branch. Do you find that?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Hello José. No that’s not right. I never get dieback after wiring an olive. This must then have to do with the way you are applying the wire or how the branches are being bent after wiring.

[@jimijamesmarshall2328]

You must be careful when wiring the thin branches on olives, specially when you're bending them down for your initial shape. They can split or even if you tear/squash a little bit of bark they'll die back and be replaced by a new shoot. I've had this problem too occasionally, specially at the first loop of wire at the beginning of the branch, if you try to go too much or change your mind and try to rebend the branch, the bark will split or wipe off and it will die. These trees are very effective at putting out new shoots and replacing existing branches, you can see this in action how the branches constantly reshoot at their bases and the amount of suckers and shoots around the base of the trunks.

[@oscarvidalquist]

Nice technique! I've seen some variations with people cuting branches not later than 2 year and leaving again a sacrificial branch to create tapper . Also for yje video I would say you make to much chatter for the time we see how you work on it

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks for your comments

[@microconut1296]

Will I go bald too when I do bonsais?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Maybe, all depends if you pull your hair out answering silly questions like this :) ha ha ha ha.