Olive tree presumed dead (rescue mission)

[SevenOaks]

Embarrassing ... but here goes:

I have an olve tree (tree in a pot, pre-bonsai) that through various misfortunes (mismanagment, indeed!) lost all its leaves. I don't know what I was thinking at the time (late March), but I repotted it thinking it probably is dead, but let's give it a chance, okay?

Now, after being "dead" for two months, the wife discovered that it sprouts leaves, far down on the trunk. The whole canopy seems to be goners, though. I assume the best thing would be to just let it alone, doing whatever business it wants to this season?

The soil is too fine perhaps - bonsai mix, seems to dry up quickly enough but it's not pumice. Repotting is too late, I guess?

I have a branch that is halfways broken off right at the trunk in the canopy - can I remove this now, or should I leave it?

 

[Housguy]

you have some pics?

 

[SevenOaks]

you have some pics?

Yes, I'll post some during the day - need to sort the camera/computer stuff ...

 

[leatherback]

Just leave the whole thing alone. It is sprouting now. Care as per usual for olives in your region and be patient.

FYI, my care includes full sun. Coarse substrate. Daily watering in late spring / summer. Fertilize like other broadleafs

 

[SevenOaks]

Just for the record, a few photos of the poor fellow ...

 

[leatherback]

Sad story indeed. Buut.. The newlifepic gives hope that the trunk higher up is still alive. I really would just leave it alone for the time being. Fertilize, water, sun. Wait. See what comes back to life and what not. It would not be the first time that a tree pretends to be dead only to recover way further up than hoped for. And if not, good reason to regrow!

 

[SevenOaks]

Sad story indeed. Buut.. The newlifepic gives hope that the trunk higher up is still alive. I really would just leave it alone for the time being. Fertilize, water, sun. Wait. See what comes back to life and what not. It would not be the first time that a tree pretends to be dead only to recover way further up than hoped for. And if not, good reason to regrow!

It gives me a bit of hope, that there still is life in there. Now I'll just water and wait - the sun part is a bit iffy at the moment even around here in "Bavarian Nizza". There are a few "knobs" that look like buds higher up on the trunk.

 

[Mapleminx]

As @leatherback has already said just leave it be and continue to care for it. Olives are pretty good at bouncing back even when you presume the worst. It has new growth…more will come .

 

[leatherback]

Growing an olive tree in a pot is initially a bad idea. Such a tree needs freedom. This also applies to the atmosphere around and the size of the pot in which it stands. I'll explain. These trees rarely take root in houses or in a regular garden. You can, of course, prune a dry branch, but that will do nothing. If you really want to keep this tree, go to floydstreeservicebakersfield.com. They will tell you what to do and whether your beautiful plant can be saved. You will receive advice on how to care for the tree and you may need some special fertilizers. I hope everything will be fine with your tree.

Wow, did you really join this website just to make a negative remark and steer someone away from this site? I recommend @Bonsai Nut takes a look at this post.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Wow, did you really join this website just to make a negative remark and steer someone away from this site? I recommend @Bonsai Nut takes a look at this post.

Problem solved.

Back to the OP's post... olives are amazingly strong and can recover from incredible stress. In fact, one of the bonsai people I know in SoCal would collect them from landscapes, cut off all the branches, and turn them upside down, and the trunk would grow new roots in the new orientation and new branches.

This tree is not dead, and if you look at your photos very closely, you will see some of the buds higher on the trunk are already showing green. You may still get some substantial die-back, but the tree is definitely still alive.

 

[SevenOaks]

I saw a version of the post that is now gone - I admit to being somewhat taken aback by the punch to the head.

No matter - I have been meaning to show how things are coming along. Nothing going on "upstairs", but there's greenery further down.

 

[Mapleminx]

I saw a version of the post that is now gone - I admit to being somewhat taken aback by the punch to the head.

No matter - I have been meaning to show how things are coming along. Nothing going on "upstairs", but there's greenery further down.

I also saw that post this morning but didn’t trust myself to reply to their negativity and blatant advertising.

 

[wineiassum]

I'm sorry, but most likely the tree won't survive.

 

[leatherback]

I'm sorry, but most likely the tree won't survive.

nonsense.

 

[SevenOaks]

Yesterday I got the exact same response from the (deleted) poster above - I smell a fish ...

 

[Mapleminx]

It’s probably the same troll on a new account @leatherback , and likely someone who has never owned an “olive in a pot”.

The tree with signs of new growth “won’t survive”, best laugh I have had today.

 

[leatherback]

It’s probably the same troll on a new account @leatherback , and likely someone who has never owned an “olive in a pot”.

The tree with signs of new growth “won’t survive”, best laugh I have had today.

Oh I know. I just do not like to leave these sort of * comments unchallenged. It is not me to roll over and let this happen.

 

[SevenOaks]

Just because I mentioned that there is nothing going on "upstairs" ... sweet Olivia presented me with two baby leaves on the lowest "dead" branch today ... (in the last photo it is on the lefthand side).

 

[leatherback]

Looking at the pic, My fantasy tells me, the transition live-dead could lay around the blue circles. If you wet the whole plant you can usually tell which sections are drying out.

 

[SevenOaks]

Looking at the pic, My fantasy tells me, the transition live-dead could lay around the blue circles. If you wet the whole plant you can usually tell which sections are drying out.

I went out and wetted it - it looks like it at least is going to be okay to your blue circle points, at best even a bit further out, hopefully. Some small twigs are obviously dry (they don't turn colour at all).

I wonder if it would be meaningful to fertilize it with something specific that furthers leaf growth? At the moment, I water and give it an allround "bonsai fertilizer" at regular intervals - it seems to respond well.