Olive front choice and plan

[maroun.c]

Got this olive couple years ago, repotted to.bonsai style and last year it generated good foliage. Gertilized last year and this year and not getting any new branches on the low side to change the style.
Plan was for a broom style looking at the straight trunk which I believe with the nice bark it has would make for a nice small tree. Yet I keep looking at the right and left side which show more motion abd a bit less base which i believe also offers more potential.
What fron would you chose abd how would u go about the style for this tree. Would u chop it at where branches emerge to force new branches or would that risk killing the tree ?

Current front
Right side which I believe would make the best front looking at base and movement, whole branching would have to be redone
Current back
Current left


Thanks

 

[Shibui]

I have never heard of an olive dying from pruning. They seem to love to grow new shoots, especially from the lower trunk as you can see this one is already doing.
Some olive groves chop their trees back to stumps on all main branches regularly to keep the fruiting branches accessible and the trees manageable. They have no fear of the trees dying.

I think whatever side you choose for the front you'll need to radically change the branches. Not a whole lot of difference between current and proposed front so I'd say it's up to you whether you want to develop a straight tree or one with some bends.
Taking out the second branch and shortening all the strong remaining branches should give a 'safe' design.

 

[maroun.c]

Thanks for the info. Believe the bends look nice and are worth using. I also have 2-3 other straight trunk small olives... if I go with the bends would a broom style still work or is it only for straight trunk trees.
By removing the 2nd branch do u mean this one in yellow ?

 

[Shibui]

Traditional broom has a straight trunk. It is the formal upright of deciduous trees but recently there's much more freedom from tradition in the west and we are seeing 'natural' style bonsai which often have upswept branches and trunks with bends.
The branch/trunk you marked with yellow is the one I mean. It seems to come forward and get in the way of viewing the remaining branches when I look at the photos. You need to confirm that in real life before chopping.

 

[maroun.c]

Chopped the middle branch abd reduced all the branches heavily, maybe went a bit too heavy ?

Here are the three sides I'm considering for front, any advice now that the tree looks cleaner
2nd one is the one I still believe is showing the best movement and base. Any suggestions?
Should I prune the branches more now or wait for backbudding and then reduce ?
Thanks

 

[maroun.c]

Chopped it further hoping this will trigger some backbudding