Olive Mallsai

acousticco

Greeting All,

I figure it’s about time I post one of my trees, considering I’ve been a bonsaiTalk junkie for almost a year and haven’t done so yet.

I bought this small Olive at a garden centre about a week ago, and am looking for suggestions for improvements, including a replacement pot. I think it’s in pretty good health, despite being abandoned among the dead junipers and pines on the bonsai table. It’s about 8” tall.

Front:

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Back:

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Side 1:

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Side 2:

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Sorry for the less then stellar photography!

I read that while repoting olives defolation is advised if trimming the roots. If this is true (can some one please confirm or deny?), I'll repost defoliated photos when I repot.

Thanks Again,

Cody

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Geodude

On my olive, I always leave one or two sets of leaves when trimming/repotting. I accidently trimmed off all the leaves on one of the branches, and the branch died. Of course a new one grew right next to it. These things grow like mad here in southern California and it's a constant battle to rub off new buds. So... if you want to keep the branches you have, I would advise you to not defoliate it completely.

Good luck.

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Paul

"Life will be sweet like a rhapsody
When I paint my materpiece"

acousticco

Greetings,

Well I decided to attack the clogged soil problem and was greeted with a pleasently pot bound root ball that appeared to be quite healthy. I plunked it into some fresh soil (zeolite, sand, loam & peat) and a 2$ garden centre pot, which I think is an improvement. Since I didn't reduce the roots much I didn't take too much off the top, mostly just older and damaged leaves. What do you think? What should I do to further improve it?

Also I spent a little time with the camera...

Thanks,

-Cody

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Larry

looks good in the new pot with new styling, but what is mallsai, what do they look like?
We dont get them in he UK!

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thejimmyrigger

Acoustico,
Good find! The new front makes it look really nice! In defoliation I've heard you should leave leaves at the end of every branch, that way the sap is prone to flow through the whole branch.
Larry,
Congaratulations you don't have mallsai in the UK. Mallsai are to bonsai as McDonald's beef is to steak. They come in all shapes and forms but are generally a rooted peice of juniper, slapped in POTTING SOIL, and then a thick layer of rocks is glued to the entire surface. They come with wonderful directions as "put ice cube on soil daily" , "place juniper by south facing window" , "water weekly" , "prune weekly" or "ask the guys at bonsaitalk.com why it died" . The junipers are generally half dead when bought, and any other tree needs special attention to rejuvinate. There sold as gifts in malls hence Mallsai. Most of the time no attention was paid to styling guidlines, and have massive leaves.
Acoustico found a rare specimen; it has taper and good potential.
Go to TreeBay Bonsai Tools & Supplies into the articles section and into BEWARE THE MALLSAI. He says it right. I can't seem to get the full URL of the article, so no link.
jim

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Jimmyrigging is much like jerryrigging, just go a bit lighter on the duct tape and wire coat hangers, and hit said broken item more. Remember: if it isn't broke don't kick it.