Hard pruning on my olive "Shiloh"

[Mike MoMo]

Well it came the time to do something about the leggy growth of this tree. Being new to Bonsai it is hard to cut back and start anew yet everything I have learned tells me to do it. Hopefully i will get some new growth and thicken the trunk. It has some taper already so it can only get better.

Before and After pics. I did save the cuttings and have them in a perlite, sphagnum medium for rooting.

 

[0soyoung]

So, cut back again some time in May or June, when the new foliage has hardened. This will release buds at the bases the leafs (i.e., axillary buds), giving your tree more branching. This would also be a good time to remove extra shoots that likely will emerge from the same spots due to this hard pruning, though you could remove them earlier, if you want.

 

[Mike MoMo]

Finally getting some budding. I can go to sleep happy tonight! Well happier

 

[Saizan]

Olives (almost european olives, Olea europaea) are very hard, and react to big cuts budding everywhere.

I have two little ones, and sometimes I need to cut new buddings that appear everywhere.

 

[Tieball]

I could be wrong....I don't have any olive trees....but if you want a thick trunk....I believe you need to let this tree grow. Grow a lot....wildly out of control. Without constant pruning or cutting. More branches, tall growth and lots of leaves will produce trunk growth. Let it grow closer to the trunk you want....then cut it back.