Olive Collecting Opportunity

[milehigh_7]

Where I work there is a building with several olive trees in front (Olea Europaea) that I have enjoyed looking at on walks for a few years. Well about a week ago a construction fence went up around the place. Friday, I saw the following: (please excuse the crappy phone pix they are from behind the construction fence.)



I was more than a little sad but then I went to ask the job supervisor if I could get the stump and he said, "sure we will be digging them out next week." This one is two separate trunks from memory each one is about 12 - 18" diameter. I was giddy!

 

[milehigh_7]

Then he said we will be getting rid of all these shrubs if you want anything else. This included another clump of olive trunks each about 10" at the base.




The other shrubs include some junipers, dwarf myrtle and gobs of Pittosporum tobira (which I don't really care for) and some others as well. If I can get them home it should be quite a haul. Any tips on collecting these and getting them to survive would be appreciated.

 

[milehigh_7]

With the olives, I plan on trying Doug Philips' technique shown here: http://www.dugzbonsai.com/olivehead1.htm Fortunately I am pretty sure I can get the guys to load them with the backhoe. Seriously any tips are welcomed.

 

[BrianBay9]

For the olives, I've successfully rooted segments of branches as thick as my arm. That pile of logs my yield good material too. Just treat them like you plan based on Dough Philips method.

Brian

 

[akhater]

no meaning to hijack the thread but I am currently trying to root thick olive cutting so Brian, if you can share tips it would be really nice

 

[PaulH]

Good score!
I've collected some very large olive stumps with some bonsai buddies. One was 100 years old and more than 6 feet in diameter! We split the large stumps into usable size chunks with a wedge and sledgehammer. The resulting deadwood section is very good for carving. We flat - cut the bottoms with chainsaws. Roots are not necessary for survival. they all survive. One that I collected two years ago is already in our club show this weekend. I'll try to get a photo to show you how fast they can be developed.

Paul

 

[milehigh_7]

No worries on the hijack the more info the better for us all.


Any and all experiences, trick, photos and questions are welcomed!

 

[milehigh_7]

Paul that sounds so exciting I can't wait for more info!!!

 

[BrianBay9]

no meaning to hijack the thread but I am currently trying to root thick olive cutting so Brian, if you can share tips it would be really nice

Nothing special required. I should note I lived in San Diego at the time, so the climate was cooperative. The olive does all the work. I try to select branch segments that have some taper. I screw a piece of plywood to the bottom to force roots laterally when then come out, put the "cutting" in free draining soil and keep it warm, moist and shaded. I've been told that olives have been started simply by hammering cut branches into the ground and waiting.....haven't done that myself though.

Brian

 

[Smoke]

Nothing special required. I should note I lived in San Diego at the time, so the climate was cooperative. The olive does all the work. I try to select branch segments that have some taper. I screw a piece of plywood to the bottom to force roots laterally when then come out, put the "cutting" in free draining soil and keep it warm, moist and shaded. I've been told that olives have been started simply by hammering cut branches into the ground and waiting.....haven't done that myself though.

Brian

We grow alot of olives around here in Fresno, and I remember when I was a kid old olive groves around the foot hills that were probably around 75 years old in the late sixties, that farmers would mend fences with branches sawed from the olive trees. The "fence posts" later on would continue to grow. Olives can be seen growing in a line with the fence. Looks crazy now, 40 or 50 years later.

 

[PaulH]

So as not to hijack, here is my olive thread http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?7699-Fat-Ollie

Paul