Olive bonsai care

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Olive bonsai trees are extremely popular in Europe and western countries. Many bonsai masterpieces are made using olive specimens collected from the wild. These days, olive bonsai can be found wherever olive trees are native.

This is one of the bonsai species which is not influenced by the east. It comes from Israel where people realized that it is very easy to grow from stem cuttings, which resulted in mass production of the tree.

Small narrow oval leaves and rough gray bark make olives suitable for all styles and sizes of bonsai. These trees are well suited to people who enjoy the sculptured effect of weathered wood amongst foliage.

Olive trees are also known to live for a very long time. The tree’s leaves have evolved to prevent transpiration during times of drought, which may contribute to its long lifespan.

In different regions, olives have developed different strains or varieties naturally. On some plants, the leaves are narrow and long, while on others, they are nearly round. However, they are all glossy dark green on the top surface and pale on the inner-side.

Some of the olive strains are very hardy and can even survive a little bit of frost.

Although classed as tender here, olives are very tough and resilient and some strains can stand the occasional nip of frost. In any case, you can never really be sure whether your bonsai is one of the harder strains, hence it’s best to treat it as tender.

Best location to keep Olive Bonsai

Olive bonsai trees enjoy full sunlight all day long.

It isn’t a problem if the heat of the sun dries out the soil occasionally since they are extremely drought-tolerant.

The leaves and bark of olive trees store tons of water when the plants are watered after droughts.

However, when grown in bonsai containers, the olive plants should be considered tender.

While it can tolerate cool temperatures, protect it from temperatures below 41°F (5°C) when grown in containers.

Keep it outside as much as possible in the spring and summer. A temperature range of 70 °F (21°C) to 85 °F (29°C) is good for olive bonsai in spring and summer.

In indoor settings, place it in a location facing south or west.

Refer sunlight requirements for indoor plants for more indoor gardening ideas. Also, refer to do bonsai trees need sunlight for more indoor and outdoor bonsai location ideas.

Propagation of Olive

Olives can be propagated using seeds, and stem cuttings

Propagate it by using hardwood cuttings in summer. The cuttings readily produce roots.

You can also propagate the tree using seeds in spring.

Watering Olive Bonsai

As drought-tolerant plants, olives prefer it if the bonsai soil dries out a little between watering sessions. Their roots stay healthy this way.

You can water the olive bonsai every other day in summer. And in winters reduce the frequency of watering, preferably once a week.

During really hot weather, be sure to spray clean water on the tree.

Read watering bonsai tree for more details.

Wiring Olive Bonsai

An olive branch should be wired when it is still young and flexible.

By the age of two or three years, they become stiff and are prone to snapping when wire training is attempted.

Young branches can be wired and positioned, and as they grow, they can be cut back partway.

In this manner, you can repeat the procedure until the branch has moved to the desired position.

Pruning Olive Bonsai

When to prune Olive bonsai?

How to prune Olive bonsai?

During the active growing period, olive bonsai can be pruned in spring or early fall.

When working with young branches, allow the shoots to grow. In order to promote good branching, prune them back to two or three leaves, so that buds further back on the branches can grow.

Use a fine toothed saw to prune the hardwood.

On shortened branches, olives do not grow new growth directly behind the wound. Any new growth stimulated by the pruning will originate either from the trunk or from the parent branch. A stub will inevitably die back at its origin.

Branches may be cut in stages, with the final cut waiting until appropriate side shoots are available to prune back to.

Pinching Olive Bonsai

Upon establishing the tree’s desired branch structure and bonsai style, pinch back new growth.

Pinching the hard shoots with your fingers is difficult. Use a sharp scissor instead.

To create a dense, full appearance, cut back the stray or over extended shoots to two or three leaves as soon as they have grown seven to eight leaves.

This regimen should be followed during the growing season, but stopped during the winter.

Repotting Olive Bonsai

When to repot olive bonsai?

Olive bonsai tree can be repotted in spring. It can be repotted every 2 – 3 years.

You can leave olives in their bonsai pots for up to a decade without repotting, however, it is always a good idea to repot fairly regularly to observe the overall health of the plant.

Olives can also handle root pruning pretty easily.

The heavy roots can be hard pruned. And the finer roots should be lightly trimmed. While repotting, almost 30% of the roots can be removed.

You can use a basic free-draining bonsai soil mix as a potting soil.

OR

You can also use a soil mix consisting of 30% grit and 70% organic matter.

Must Read: Bonsai Soil Recipes

Must read : Choosing the right bonsai container

Feeding Olive Bonsai

Fertilize every week in spring and summer with a balanced fertilizer at half strength.

You can also apply a single dose of nitrogen free feed in fall.

Do not apply feed in winter. However, if the temperature is consistently above 55 °F (12°C), you can apply a balanced feed every 3 weeks.

Read more about bonsai fertilizer and its application.

Diseases and pest of Olive Bonsai

Olive trees can be infested by spider mites and scaled insects.

Use a systemic insecticide.

Olive bonsai care

On olives, it is more difficult to grow your own branches than on most other bonsai trees.

Branches of olive bonsai trees are very brittle and snap easily at the base or die back quickly after they are wired. However, new shoots grow in all directions, and selective pruning can usually be used to shape a branch.

For a while, they can tolerate dry roots in a pot, however without the extensive root systems they develop in the wild, they suffer if left too long without water.

The olive, like most plants adapted to dry habitats, is an opportunist when it comes to water consumption. As soon as water is available, it is absorbed at a remarkable rate, giving the bonsai grower the deceptive perception that the tree needs to be watered more. Do not fall for this and do not over-water the plant.

What to look for when buying Olive Bonsai

Large bonsai olive specimens are rare and expensive, but they have a lot of appeal and charisma. On the other hand, a young olive bonsai is very common and cheap.

When making a purchase, choose a bonsai specimen which has a good branch structure and a single well defined trunk.

If you can, you can also collect a mature looking olive specimen from the wild. However, this is a choice very few fortunate people will have.