Hi,

I have recently acquired an olive bonsai, collected from the wild around 2 weeks ago. The leaves have started to curl, which would indicate that it is drying out. i have been watering the soil roughly once a day when i see that it is completely dry. Doesn't seem to be working out too much.

I am also looking for some advice on the soil mix used, can only provide some pictures.

First 2 are when it was collected/potted and the other 4 are from today.

Let me know and thank you in advance!

It is struggling.

Take away the fertilizer
Put the plant and pot in a transparant bag
Put it in the shade

Leave it alone.

leatherback wrote: It is struggling.

Take away the fertilizer
Put the plant and pot in a transparant bag
Put it in the shade

Leave it alone.

Ok, thank you for the help. I've taken away the fertilizer and put it in the shade.

The weather here has been above 35 degrees for the past week and will continue for the coming weeks. Would you still recommend using the plastic bag?

Regards

It is reacting from being dug up in such heat. Not a good idea, but Olives are tough and it should be ok. I would have removed some of the excess branches and cut off the dead bits, Olive will produce roots from a cut base so if you removed roots it will grow more. I don't think I would put it in a bag but it is up to you, but not fertiliser for the rest of this year. Go easy on the water.

It is what I do

Once again thank you for the advice.

Was not trying to discredit what you do by any extent, but wanted to give you more information (weather here) and to ensure your recommendation had the best possible background info .

Lolpes wrote: Once again thank you for the advice.

Was not trying to discredit what you do by any extent, but wanted to give you more information (weather here) and to ensure your recommendation had the best possible background info .

No problem. The bag is not for heat, but for humidity. You are now trying to keep the plant from drying out, while it repairs the roots and gets water uptake going again. Based on the curled leaves I concluded it is not able to do that now. Which will mean slow die-back on branches and the trunk as long as no water uptake is possible.

Bag -> Humidity goes to 100% -> Leaves do not dry out and continue functioning -> Roots can rebuild

I have been doing it a few days now, probably don't expect results or anything anytime soon but summary of whats happened since then:
- a lot of the leafts have now turned brown/ dried off
- the leafts that haven't turned brown seems to have gone back to a more tender state.

Is there any indication as to when the bag should be coming off? any time molestation or signs to look out for?
I'll attach a picture of the tree in a bit.

Lolpes wrote: Is there any indication as to when the bag should be coming off? any time molestation or signs to look out for?

Never been in that situation myself, but my guess would be: “a while after you see new growth pushing”...