Should I repot it?

[Mapleminx]

So,
I have an olive that was gifted to me pre-pandemic. It was a supermarket bonsai as far as I know and it’s in plastic bonsai pot that it came in. The soil is..how can I adequately describe this? It’s like a fine very pale brown poor quality compacted dust that just doesn’t look like anything I’d want to be sitting in if I were a tree.

I’ve left this tree alone since receiving it and was planning to repot it next spring but I am wondering if I should do it now I’d like to get a good look at what the roots are doing and what sort of condition they are in. It’s had a lot of leave drop and is quite bald in places.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Shibui]

If you believe the tree is in danger in the current mix and pot you should go ahead and repot. Noting to lose IMHO.
Olives are normally quite tough. Down here we collect larger feral olives in late spring or early autumn and they survive drastic root reduction at both those times. Some autumn collections do sulk for 6 months, sometimes longer but nearly all recover eventually.
Europe is a pretty big and diverse place. Winters can be mild or severe depending on the area. In colder parts you may need to give your olive some extra protection to survive winter after repotting this time of year. You have not mentioned whether you keep this olive indoors or out. I have not tried indoor olive bonsai but I am pretty confident they would still be far healthier outside.

 

[sorce]

Sounds like the soil is bone dry peat moss.

Sounds like it's dying in it!

Sorce

 

[Mapleminx]

Sounds like the soil is bone dry peat moss.

Sounds like it's dying in it!

Sorce

Just finished repotting it. The old soil was horrible and so compacted it took me almost an hour to get the remnants of it from around the roots. It was potbound which wasn’t immediately obvious due to the rock hard soil when it was in the pot, that soil was horrible and just didn’t let much water through.

Hopefully it‘s feeling a bit better now. I keep it outdoors. Last winter was quite mild.

 

[leatherback]

that soil was horrible and just didn’t let much water through.

SOunds like old akadama

Pictures?

 

[Mapleminx]

SOunds like old akadama

Pictures?

Far too heavy to have been Akadama. I should have snapped pictures but didn’t before I tossed the old stuff, I didn’t even think to grab pictures. As for pictures of the tree...um nope it’s far too shameful right now.

 

[DonovanC]

Far too heavy to have been Akadama. I should have snapped pictures but didn’t before I tossed the old stuff, I didn’t even think to grab pictures. As for pictures of the tree...um nope it’s far too shameful right now.

Not true!!! A start is a start! Honor it! Show us!!!

 

[Mapleminx]

Not true!!! A start is a start! Honor it! Show us!!!

How about next spring when hopefully it’s looking a little healthier? Right now it’s an embarrassment, ok it will still be an embarassment come spring but at least it will be a leafier one.

 

[leatherback]

How about next spring when hopefully it’s looking a little healthier?

If you show it now, you might get some helpfull suggestions to keep it alive over winter

 

[Woocash]

@Mapleminx Have you got pictures for yourself at least? I reckon you’ll appreciate seeing the progression over time.

 

[Mapleminx]

@Mapleminx Have you got pictures for yourself at least? I reckon you’ll appreciate seeing the progression over time.

I have a couple of pics from before it dropped so many leaves. Once it’s looking better I’ll post it’s progression so far

 

[DonovanC]

I have a couple of pics from before it dropped so many leaves. Once it’s looking better I’ll post it’s progression so far

I think what’s being suggested is that you take some pictures now (you don’t have to share them), just for yourself so you have something to look back on when the tree is doing better. I have some pretty ugly pictures of some of my trees for this purpose. It’s nice to look back and see how much the tree has improved.

 

[Mapleminx]

Well it obviously approved on the repot because today I noticed some new growth! Finally some new very small leaves and so ironic that they come so late in the season.