Olive Repoting

[ConorDash]

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Hmm yes, yes that's correct.
Thanks for doing the math for us, would have been a pain for me to write out myself.

“They don’t like repotting”

where did you hear that? It’s ABSOLUTELY wrong!

olives are the easiest, most forgiving of trees regarding potting AS LONG AS IT’S DONE WHEN THEY ARE ACTIVELY GROWING.

heck, you could completely remove every shred of root, stick it in soil, and it would most likely come back!

I am trying to figure out where I heard it.. I thought I heard it somewhere, which was kinda the basis for his thread! I even read our convo we had, a year or 2 ago, before writing this but for the life of me can't find it anywhere... it is clearly wrong, as proven by people here, which kinda solves that problem!

In which case, I was siding on not needing to repot, but as they are happy to repot, I should do it... so I can continue development. Shallow container to spread the roots out more radially. No?

 

[ConorDash]

I repotted mine when it started growing (may). Summer repotting is also possible, but because the growing season is so short and the tree has to recover from repotting, you no longer have that much growth. At least that was my thought. It is in 50/50 aka / pumich. Olives are strong, but it remains a difficult variety in our climate.
View attachment 318335

How have you found it, using that mix? This is a mix I have available and am going to use on a load of trees next Spring. For the Olive I was going to go with a tried and tested pre-mix from an online place, but if this is perfectly good then no need...

 

[leatherback]

I am trying to figure out where I heard it.. I thought I heard it somewhere, which was kinda the basis for his thread! I even read our convo we had, a year or 2 ago, before writing this but for the life of me can't find it anywhere... it is clearly wrong, as proven by people here, which kinda solves that problem!

pretty sure it is based on people repotting too early in the year. I am finding more and more that is what puts olives in trouble. That and wet cold winter roots.

 

[ConorDash]

pretty sure it is based on people repotting too early in the year. I am finding more and more that is what puts olives in trouble. That and wet cold winter roots.

Yes wet and cold roots are a problem, need to watch out in winter thats for sure.
Ill look to repot in 3-4 weeks or so, when it is more actively growing.

I'll look to maybe get a better pot for it.

 

[Benauber]

It would seem not everyone agrees whether or not olive bonsais like repoting
Ma-Ke bonsai, in one of his videos, says they don’t

 

[Adair M]

Yes wet and cold roots are a problem, need to watch out in winter thats for sure.
Ill look to repot in 3-4 weeks or so, when it is more actively growing.

I'll look to maybe get a better pot for it.

No, repot NOW!

 

[Adair M]

It would seem not everyone agrees whether or not olive bonsais like repoting
Ma-Ke bonsai, in one of his videos, says they don’t

He’s a bit wrong about when to repot. That’s too early in the year.

 

[ConorDash]

No, repot NOW!

Oh really? Its better to do this at the very beginning of active growth, rather than middle?

 

[ConorDash]

It would seem not everyone agrees whether or not olive bonsais like repoting
Ma-Ke bonsai, in one of his videos, says they don’t

I've watched a few of his videos... he never filled me with confidence that he knew the right way to do things. Maybe I'm wrong, just always got a bad feeling, so never tended to watch his stuff.

 

[leatherback]

he never filled me with confidence that he knew the right way to do things.

I was going to ask whether I was the only one who found it painfull to watch that video..

 

[BobbyLane]

Oh really? Its better to do this at the very beginning of active growth, rather than middle?

you said:

" it has just started to grow"

i would have done it over the weekend. check the weather forecast, temps will be rising over the next few days. i would do it today or tomorrow.

we are at the end of jul, if you wait 3-4 weeks it will be the end of aug, almost end of summer. but you've been advised to repot DURING summer, DURING active growth.

 

[ConorDash]

You make a good and glaringly obvious point...
Fair enough, thanks for the advice guys.

 

[Cadillactaste]

It would seem not everyone agrees whether or not olive bonsais like repoting
Ma-Ke bonsai, in one of his videos, says they don’t

My seller I got my Olive from takes cuttings...and mails them without roots. And they do fine and grow roots. I've never heard they didn't like repotting...unless you do it out of the window of opportunity. Adair, is quite knowledgeable on Olive. He's vault worthy, take to the bank without question on Olives. Now mine, was exposed root...but I know ones who bought from him with just chopped pieces of olive in a loomy mix. They have all flourished. Summer when actively growing is ideal for repot. Don't wait to long...as Adair is saying...Do it now @ConorDash . We have similar seasons...so I don't question your location at all.

 

[coh]

Just to add to the confusion, I have one olive that I got last year so no long term experience, but...I repotted it in early May and it is doing fine. I should say though, I had it indoors under lights through the winter so it was growing when repotted (though slowly).

Weather was pretty cool and damp until about mid June, since then hot and sunny.

 

[Kadebe]

My seller I got my Olive from takes cuttings...and mails them without roots. And they do fine and grow roots. I've never heard they didn't like repotting...unless you do it out of the window of opportunity. ....

About a month ago I purchased a little olive tree to put in my garden.... but I guess it will end up in a bonsai learning experiment
This week I want to repot en prune. I don't want to wast the cuttings. How do you root them? I saw a video on YouTube to put them in water and within 2-4 weeks they'll root. Is that a good practice? Or is it better to put them in fine substrate like perlite?

 

[ConorDash]

My seller I got my Olive from takes cuttings...and mails them without roots. And they do fine and grow roots. I've never heard they didn't like repotting...unless you do it out of the window of opportunity. Adair, is quite knowledgeable on Olive. He's vault worthy, take to the bank without question on Olives. Now mine, was exposed root...but I know ones who bought from him with just chopped pieces of olive in a loomy mix. They have all flourished. Summer when actively growing is ideal for repot. Don't wait to long...as Adair is saying...Do it now @ConorDash . We have similar seasons...so I don't question your location at all.

Oh, I know.. I previously (few years ago) messaged Adair about it, as I knew he was the one to ask. I would take his word as gospel, although I do need to remember I am in the UK with a different climate, so there is some movement .
I took his and other's in this threads' advice, repoted yesterday.

Olive stump

I would leave the width of the trunk as is, just taker off the deadwood? You can reduce the width of the canopy compared to what you have now If anything, the balance would be better?

www.bonsainut.com

Thanks all,

 

[Adair M]

Oh, I know.. I previously (few years ago) messaged Adair about it, as I knew he was the one to ask. I would take his word as gospel, although I do need to remember I am in the UK with a different climate, so there is some movement .
I took his and other's in this threads' advice, repoted yesterday.

Olive stump

I would leave the width of the trunk as is, just taker off the deadwood? You can reduce the width of the canopy compared to what you have now If anything, the balance would be better?

www.bonsainut.com

Thanks all,

Your summer is shorter, but July is mid-summer everywhere in the northern hemisphere.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Oh, I know.. I previously (few years ago) messaged Adair about it, as I knew he was the one to ask. I would take his word as gospel, although I do need to remember I am in the UK with a different climate, so there is some movement .
I took his and other's in this threads' advice, repoted yesterday.

Olive stump

I would leave the width of the trunk as is, just taker off the deadwood? You can reduce the width of the canopy compared to what you have now If anything, the balance would be better?

www.bonsainut.com

Thanks all,

My friend Paul who does bonsai, our climates/seasons are actually the same. He doesn't see the cold that I do. But...our seasons are very much similar. We've talked on that a lot in the past. But, for sure still slightly different. We do similar methods of potting and such though. I've tried to get him to join the forum...but he is to busy for that sort of thing. Wish you the best...I'm not needing to repot. Mine is in nice draining soil...and...I need to decide on a front. I'm wishy washy...and I've a particular pot that has a front to the pot. So...I will hopefully wait and figure it out and when I go to repot, I am solid in the front of my olive.

 

[ConorDash]

Check out the other thread if you like.
The Olive perhaps would have been fine to leave till next year, or maybe not.. the roots had started to create a wall around the pot and the substrate was in the very exact shape of a pot. So i think this was good time to do it.
Despite being in fully 100% molar clay, the roots were in good shape, and healthy. No black, mushy or bad roots. I reduced perhaps 40% of it, a few long ones and repoted in 80-90% Pumice, rest Molar clay.

Currently, I cannot keep it wet! Due to not having much water retention substrate.

 

[roberthu]

My friend Paul who does bonsai, our climates/seasons are actually the same. He doesn't see the cold that I do. But...our seasons are very much similar. We've talked on that a lot in the past. But, for sure still slightly different. We do similar methods of potting and such though. I've tried to get him to join the forum...but he is to busy for that sort of thing. Wish you the best...I'm not needing to repot. Mine is in nice draining soil...and...I need to decide on a front. I'm wishy washy...and I've a particular pot that has a front to the pot. So...I will hopefully wait and figure it out and when I go to repot, I am solid in the front of my olive.

Just curious since we are virtually in the same area. Is now a good time to repot elaeagnus? It is also a Mediterranean species with waxy leaves so I am hoping they react the same?
Thanks!