Black Olive Thorns - Can I cut them off?

[roberthu]

So I recently acquired a small black olive and although the thorns are not big, they are pretty annoying. I haven’t done any work to it yet but I can already imaging how unpleasant it is going to be to wire or repot it. Can I cut the thorns off? I know there are like a million of those but man they scratch and poke like crazy!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Sure, you can cut off the thorns.

 

[roberthu]

Sure, you can cut off the thorns.

Thank you! I am going to give it a try after a few weeks since the tree just arrived yesterday.

 

[penumbra]

There are two schools of thought (probably more). I prefer the one that causes less pain.

 

[roberthu]

There are two schools of thought (probably more). I prefer the one that causes less pain.

Haha I am with you man!

 

[roberthu]

Did a repot and thought I spend some time cut off the thorns since the kids are asleep.
Half an hour down and I felt one pad is good enough for tonight...

 

[Potawatomi13]

There are two schools of thought (probably more). I prefer the one that causes less pain.

AMEN to that!

 

[leatherback]

What species is a black olive, for those from around the world?

 

[roberthu]

What species is a black olive, for those from around the world?

Bucida molinettii is what it’s called on Wigerts site.

 

[MMJNICE]

So I recently acquired a small black olive and although the thorns are not big, they are pretty annoying. I haven’t done any work to it yet but I can already imaging how unpleasant it is going to be to wire or repot it. Can I cut the thorns off? I know there are like a million of those but man they scratch and poke like crazy!

I just got my dorf black olive from the same bonsai nursery and my first impression is that if you cut the thorns off that would be like cutting off its arms.. the thorns are where new branches are formed looks like. I made the mistake of cutting off every single thorns on my Boganvilla tree and after closely watching it over the course of two years I found out that's were the flowers come from. I didn't get flowers until new thorns were formed a 8 months later. If you notice the zigzaging pattern of the branches then it looks as though the next branch is basically a elongated thorns. Anyway if you have a definitive answer by now I would love to get some advice from you about my newly acquired black olive tree. Have a relaxing Friday afternoon.

 

[Paul F.]

Did a repot and thought I spend some time cut off the thorns since the kids are asleep.
Half an hour down and I felt one pad is good enough for tonight...

How did the repot go? I used to have black olives and man did they hate being repotted. My friend has a farm up in homestead Florida and is bringing me 4 or 5 black olives in a week or so. Love those trees.

 

[Doogliebop]

I just got my dorf black olive from the same bonsai nursery and my first impression is that if you cut the thorns off that would be like cutting off its arms.. the thorns are where new branches are formed looks like. I made the mistake of cutting off every single thorns on my Boganvilla tree and after closely watching it over the course of two years I found out that's were the flowers come from. I didn't get flowers until new thorns were formed a 8 months later. If you notice the zigzaging pattern of the branches then it looks as though the next branch is basically a elongated thorns. Anyway if you have a definitive answer by now I would love to get some advice from you about my newly acquired black olive tree. Have a relaxing Friday afternoon.

Same with the native hawthorns, the thorns are future branches and better left alone until decisions on design are made.