New Olive

[Ris]

I found this Olive a few weeks ago, not much of a olive guy but really liked
the nebari on this. I am open to suggestions on what style will enhance the tree.
Nebari is 14" and 34" tall with 6 trunks. 1 will go for sure keeping 5 also depends
on what I decide on.
What do you see in this tree?

 

[bonsai barry]

Clump style for sure if you're going for five trunks. With the nebari, it could be impressive! Are you planning to chop it to a shorter size (cutting each trunk a different height) or are you thinking about putting it into the ground to thicken the trunks first?

 

[Ris]

Hi Bonsai Barry,
Am going with different heights and push them apart a bit, as for the trunks the nice thing is
There all different diameter so smallest shortest. I need to figure out trunk size to height?

 

[bonsai barry]

Hi Bonsai Barry,
Am going with different heights and push them apart a bit, as for the trunks the nice thing is
There all different diameter so smallest shortest. I need to figure out trunk size to height?

That's what I would do, however you can change the diameter of the trunks but not cutting some of them back and allowing them to grow unhindered, that would allow those trunks to increase in their girth in relationship to the trees that had been cut back. This might help as you develop your overall design (but it also means that the tree will look pretty funky for a couple of years.)

 

[fourteener]

You have to enhance what is unique. I don't see many clumps like that and the way it has created that base makes this really different from the norm. I would treat it like a forest. Larger trunks taller, shorter trunk smaller. I would find a way to move the smaller trunks out toward the edge (looking for light under the larger canopy. Maybe jin a trunk or two.

To me, the clump of trunks and that base is at the heart of a unique feature that needs to be brought out. it's a good challenge.