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Olives are local, non-native trees that grow in the California region. These are one of my favorite trees to propagate.

I discovered some years ago that you can take an olive tree and cut off all the roots and re-root the massive bases. New roots emerge at the cambium layer exposed in the flat cut area; they can be trained from this point on to become the best "nebari" root system.

While the roots are being developed, you can go to work simultaneously on the apex of the tree to correct any heavy cuts made in the field or remove superfluous branches that nature placed in unnecessary areas.

I use a combination of growing options. I grow in a training pot and also in a growing bed in the ground.

You will see in the photos that the trees go through some heavy pruning from the field, looking rather awkward in the stump form and progressing on to eventually become a tree with some pretty good bonsai potential. (But I'm a little prejudice; I'll let you decide for yourself.)

I collect olive trees along the fence lines, vacant lots and along the railroad tracks in my hometown. I often take others with me to go and gather top quality material. My initial start of big base olive material was collected in 1997 and a couple trees are progressing well enough that they will soon be in bonsai containers.

The trees that have been collected in the time since are in various stages of training. This year was especially good for collecting as the new greenhouse was substantially completed and thrust into use. It is currently full of Sierra Junipers, California Junipers and olives. All of the olives have had the bases "flat cut".

The season has cooled off some as fall has approached and some of the olives that were collected in July and August have been moved out onto to growing bench. Once weaned off the greenhouse and established outdoors these trees will be re-potted, root pruned and transferred to a container that is larger and more suited to root growth in the early spring. In my zone this will probably be done about February.

One of the main goals with this method of material development is that a mature looking root system be created as soon as possible to match the mature bases and trunks of the olive tress collected. Nothing looks quite as awkward as young, tiny roots on a big, mature base; the scale is off and inappropriate.

During this root growth period, the new apex can be grown using the "sacrifice branch" method, this will fix the area where the tree was topped and a heavy cut occurs. Don't forget to start the primary branch development in the main trunk area, this can be done while attention is given to the roots and the apex. So that will give you about three things to keep track of while you fertilize, pinch, wire, repot, remove succors and control pests.

Olives have propensity for accumulating scale; ants are the worst for "farming" these little critters on your tree. Other than scale, I haven't ever noticed other problems that impact the health of the tree, olives seam quite resistant and sturdy.

Have fun....dp

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