So.. in winter I had the oportunity to buy some olive trees, very cheaply. They survived through winter, and a few weeks ago I repotted them. in order to create a tutorial, I did a bit more extensive write-up of the process of cleaning up and repotting. The whole thing is located here:

www.growingbonsai.net/creating-bonsai-fr...-stock-olive-bonsai/

leatherback wrote:

So..
www.growingbonsai.net/creating-bonsai-fr...-stock-olive-bonsai/

So Leatherback you say:
"This will cause some challenges for the taper in the trunk later on, and this will have to be dealt with with sme carving. In the end, the rootbase is not ideal for bonsai. "

Well, I've got the same problem with an old boxwood I collected from a hedge, and would love to hear your suggestions to solve it. Two stages of roots, the thicker ones above, I had to cut them when reppoting...
Now?

Hm.. I would say.. It depends. Do you have enough roots to make a decent nebari with the roots on top? Then use those.In this case, rooting was really one-sided. I am not sure yet whether this will be dealt with through carving or layering. Or maybe at the next repotting I will decide I find it OK as is

leatherback wrote:

I am not sure yet whether this will be dealt with through carving or layering.

Can't you just bury the trunk deeper into the pot? Will it rot if you do that?

I want a visible nebari..

Just thought I would post an update. Today these olives look like this. I indeed have two of them. The one of the rootwork is on the right. The larger original plant picture is actually the one on the left (Which a bright observer of course already noticed!)

OK..
Little update is in place.
I took some extreme actions today. The bumbs on the trunk got to me in the end. To I decided to.. Take the head off..


Kept the base, hoping for ti to prout. And the top is treated as a large cutting

leatherback wrote:

I took some extreme actions today.
Kept the base...

First, you are crazy aren't you?
Second, I can't imagine a drastic cutting like this will produce roots by itself, but then I may be wrong, having no experience at all with olives.
The base yes, I guess it will sprout many shoots.
Let us know, keep updating this thread, please.

Clicio wrote:

First, you are crazy aren't you?

You only say that because you love me and want to be like me

Clicio wrote:

Second, I can't imagine a drastic cutting like this will produce roots by itself, but then I may be wrong, having no experience at all with olives.
The base yes, I guess it will sprout many shoots.
Let us know, keep updating this thread, please.

Everywhere I am told.. Olives can be treated like willows provided you give them lots of heat. So.. The cutting is bagged up getting early morning and later afternoon soon. And when the weather swaps back to normal spring weather (Rain and 15C) it will move into my greenhouse which in spring heats up to mid-20ies.

My thinking was.. Not much lost by trimming it back: The tree was not too good anyway and it did not get sold. IF this works, I might end up with 2 better trees.

Holy wow! I like your style. I don't know how it will work, but you must have been bothered by the lumps at the base to do it. Would it not have been possible to carve the bumps off? Bit late now though,
Geoff.