Opinions on these olea.

[Doogliebop]

So I'm gonna jump on the trend I've been seeing here lately and ask for some input. I've been shopping for an olea sylvestris for a few months and finally found a seller on eBay with a nice selection. I'm leaning towards one of these but wanted to get some opinions on them from the the community here. This first one is the one I initially wanted. The price is $218 free shipping and this second one is $298. So do y'all think these are worthy of the price and which one would you get if you were in the market for an olea and why? Pics 1-4 are $218 pics 5-8 are $298.

 

[LuZiKui]

These are both chunky, that's for sure! I think the only issue I see with these is trying to develop any taper. To my eye they just look like big trees that were cut down, so you'd probably need to do some shaping of the trunk to get your taper.

As is, I think I like the second one better since it's got a little bit of taper to it, plus you have a lot more height to work with if you are going to be doing any carving.

 

[Doogliebop]

Also, if anyone knows anyone selling an O. Sylvestris for a similar price please let me know.

 

[badatusernames]

It looks like there's a lot of dead trunk up top but for me this looks like it would make a good small tree, with time and selection and thickening of branches and apex

 

[BobbyLane]

For what they are I think its too much. I bought this one from a garden centre here for £70, roughly $85. as a much taller tree that I cut down to a stump, I sold it to Conor and he's developed it well.
regarding taper, if you were trying to emulate an ancient Olive in the Med for example then the taper things a mute point tbh

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

Everthing is much bigger in the US, it surprises me that you guys find it difficult to acquire raw plants from landscape nurseries, that you can chop down yourself and regrow. this olive was just a straight pole, but the base had good flair. maybe folks get too caught up with the taper thing. develop some raw stumps

suppose with a bit of imagination you could make one of those double trunks look like it was split down the middle

 

[LuZiKui]

Also, if anyone knows anyone selling an O. Sylvestris for a similar price please let me know.

I'm starting to sound like a broken record but I got my Olive from fellow bnutter @Housguy . Most of his are started with bonsai in mind so some movement lower on the trunk but not quite as thick as these (although not sure if he ships). Here is one I got from him that I'm developing into a cool little shohin olive (before and after trunk chop):



You'll have to decide what style you want more. Stump style like @BobbyLane mentioned or more of an informal upright.

 

[19Mateo83]

So I'm gonna jump on the trend I've been seeing here lately and ask for some input. I've been shopping for an olea sylvestris for a few months and finally found a seller on eBay with a nice selection. I'm leaning towards one of these but wanted to get some opinions on them from the the community here. This first one is the one I initially wanted. The price is $218 free shipping and this second one is $298. So do y'all think these are worthy of the price and which one would you get if you were in the market for an olea and why? Pics 1-4 are $218 pics 5-8 are $298.

That seller has a literal TON of good looking stumps. I been eyeing one from them also. The thing that concerns me about these stumps is how long they have been potted up. Some of them look like they were made from big chunks used as cuttings, others look freshly carved too. I may be wrong but if I was you I would ask seller how long since these were repotted…. Or potted…

 

[BobbyLane]

I'd save my money for something better

 

[Doogliebop]

For what they are I think its too much. I bought this one from a garden centre here for £70, roughly $85. as a much taller tree that I cut down to a stump, I sold it to Conor and he's developed it well.
regarding taper, if you were trying to emulate an ancient Olive in the Med for example then the taper things a mute point tbh

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

Everthing is much bigger in the US, it surprises me that you guys find it difficult to acquire raw plants from landscape nurseries, that you can chop down yourself and regrow. this olive was just a straight pole, but the base had good flair. maybe folks get too caught up with the taper thing. develop some raw stumps

suppose with a bit of imagination you could make one of those double trunks look like it was split down the middle

I completely agree about these being over priced. As for sourcing raw material, sylvestris isn't as popular here as an ornamental tree and nurseries only have cultivars.

 

[Doogliebop]

That seller has a literal TON of good looking stumps. I been eyeing one from them also. The thing that concerns me about these stumps is how long they have been potted up. Some of them look like they were made from big chunks used as cuttings, others look freshly carved too. I may be wrong but if I was you I would ask seller how long since these were repotted…. Or potted…

He must have access to an old grove or something. He's making an absolute killing if he sells them. I just have a hard time paying that much money for half of a stump. These two are at least complete around.

 

[ptolomeo]

I may be wrong but to me the foliage looks more like standard olea than sylvestris

 

[Doogliebop]

I may be wrong but to me the foliage looks more like standard olea than sylvestris

You may be correct. I've never seen a sylvestris in person but I have read everywhere that they have smaller leaves and tighter internodes. I asked him and he said 90% of his stock was sylvestris and the others are "fruiting olive". I could tell English is not his first language and any conversation attempts have been very confusing for both parties. I actually bought a shit load of wild sylvestris seeds from a seller in Turkey that I'm germinating right now because of lack of material options in America. He could also be misinformed about the difference between common europaea and sylvestris and confuses the two.