🟡 Olive, #2343

Olive from SBBK 2023 Green Elephant for $20. Olea europaea

Base appears to be cork bark, and hope it may be, but an ugly tree as is.

Aug 2024 attempted scion graft closer to the trunk.

Sep 28, 2023 acquired

Watering

Water the olive bonsai thoroughly whenever the soil gets dry but avoid constant wetness. Normal tap water of good quality is just fine for the olive tree.

Fertilizing

Apply solid organic fertilizer every four weeks or use a liquid fertilizer every week during the growing season.

Pruning & wiring

Strong pruning, if necessary, should be done in late winter. The olive will respond with vigorous growth in the following spring. It can also bud from old wood. When the new shoots grow too long, cut back to one or two pairs of leaves. Very healthy specimens can also be defoliated in order to promote a fine ramification. Younger branches and new shoots can be wired at any time. Old branches are stiff and brittle and hard to bend. Guy-wires can be a good alternative.

Repotting

Repot in spring before the buds begin to swell, every two or three years and remove about a third of the roots. Old trees can be repotted at longer intervals. Use a well draining soil mix with a slightly alkaline pH value (7 - 8).