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bonsaiTALK Expert
Join Date: Apr-2003
Posts: 184
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Thanks for the suggestions. Below is a a quick virtual of what I think should be done and can be accomplished in one or two growing seasons. The reason I prefer to have taller rather than a shorter trunk is because it is somewhat difficult to find mature wild olives with this much taper. Another reason for a large crown is that there seems to be a sub species here which has very small leaves (this is certainly a good example). With constant pruning they will reduce even more. (for this reason in my opinion they are far superior to commercially grown olives). A fuller crown compensates visually for the heavier lower branch. After a few years the foilage in the upper part of the tree can be reduced by removing some of the branches after they have thickened up. This unfortunately will take a bit of time.
A quick comment about the pot. Generally olives are not too difficult to collect and even older specimens (the above is probably 50-100 years old) root rather easily. However there are often problems if one tries to move them inro a shallow bonsai container after they begin to grow. I have had much more success in planting them in deeper bonsai containers for a few years before moving them into a shallower pot. It takes a bit longer but it seldom results in the loss of a tree.
Hank
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