Help styling my Olive bonsais.

[maroun.c]

There is a bonsai place in dubai but ihave yet to go. Used to be a society here but now shut down.

Any idea about location and name ? I've been to the Dubai Garden center but only found perlite.

 

[maroun.c]

Lava is available here in pea shaped granules for potting plants with, it can be crushed with pliers to create the sharp texture required for optimum root development but it is a messy job and creates a lot of fine particles :0 (

Do you mean the clay balls like these

I was able to find few sizes and have a thread on soil to see if I should use those in my mix or not and in what ratio...

 

[maroun.c]

Some pine species probably can be air layered, but it is difficult. What I meant can be red from pictures...
View attachment 113039 View attachment 113040
The pics come from Google. If you find a taller pine always look for lower branches if you aim to have a smaller tree from it.

Thanks for the Info. Started looking for a pine and a small cedar to hopefully grow into something nice.

 

[Adair M]

Lava is available here in pea shaped granules for potting plants with, it can be crushed with pliers to create the sharp texture required for optimum root development but it is a messy job and creates a lot of fine particles :0 (

Pea shaped is better. Don't crush them.

Why is pea shaped better? They're rounded. Makes for more tiny air pockets. More air pockets means more oxygen. When you water, water will temporarily fill the air pockets, then drain away. When it drains away, air from the surface will be drawn down into the soil, thus refreshing the oxygen. Good for roots!

It's an old erroneous myth that soil particles should be sharp! Absolutely incorrect!

Sharp particles pack down solid. Think of a gravel road. Sharp particles, but over time, it settles into a firm structure. With little air pockets.

Instead, imagine a glass full of round marbles. There's always empty space between them.

Also, it's important to have a consistent size particle. If all particles are the same size, the air spaces stay open. If there are a mixture of sizes, the small particles work their way in between the larger ones, and fill up the air gaps. Thus, becoming solid.

 

[maroun.c]

OK so back to styling questions. I got this additional one only cause the wife loved it or maybe she loved the pot (couldn't say No )
Not the thickest trunk I'm after but for the thin pot it's in (6.5 inches wide) it kinda looks neat. It also got a lower trunk so won't be lowering it... trunk base is around 3.5 inch and around 2.5 before it bifurcates. Has a bit dense foliage already and believe the long thick branches need to be brought down a bit as well as needs changing its soil.
Please advise if u start by an initial styling now and change soil in early spring or change soil early spring and style in June?
Also appreciate your input on how to style it.
Here are its four sides and trunk close ups

Current front

Will reorient to this

Trunk closeup
Yes that unsightly bulge is to go

And pics of other sides
Left

 

[ColinFraser]

Here's a little progression you might find interesting:
http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/chopped-and-rechopped-olive.22389/

 

[maroun.c]

Back
Guess those main branches have to be shortened.



And Rt



Appreciate any tips on things to do or any way to go at initial styling.
Thanks.

 

[maroun.c]

Here's a little progression you might find interesting:
http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/chopped-and-rechopped-olive.22389/

An amazing tree and some excellent work you've done on the tree in that thread. I like how the bark had evolved on that trunk in only 2 years time and that it got thicker rather quick.
Got a similar trunk with a hump on the bottom which I might try to chop low as you did.
Thanks.

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Any idea about location and name ? I've been to the Dubai Garden center but only found perlite.

Yes it is Bonsai Dubai. Seems to have moved location now. Worth calling them on 009710558359707

 

[maroun.c]

Yes it is Bonsai Dubai. Seems to have moved location now. Worth calling them on 009710558359707

Thanks will check it out when I'm there next.

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Do you mean the clay balls like these
View attachment 113046
I was able to find few sizes and have a thread on soil to see if I should use those in my mix or not and in what ratio...

Yes. If you break one open there is lava rock inside. These clay balls are not the right sharpness for optimum root development in Bonsai though. The particles need to be sharp to encourage ramification of the roots see

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Thanks for the Info. Started looking for a pine and a small cedar to hopefully grow into something nice.

There is a type of conifer that grows well here even in full sun, same soft wood as pine it looks a lot like a conifer anyway. I took cuttings but I went away and they died. These trees have scale like leaves and seem to do really well in the sun and heat. I hear Pines are very difficult in this kind of heat. Not impossible to grow though, but they are not made for here. They can be grown very successfully inside if there is sufficient humidity and light though.

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Pea shaped is better. Don't crush them.

Why is pea shaped better? They're rounded. Makes for more tiny air pockets. More air pockets means more oxygen. When you water, water will temporarily fill the air pockets, then drain away. When it drains away, air from the surface will be drawn down into the soil, thus refreshing the oxygen. Good for roots!

It's an old erroneous myth that soil particles should be sharp! Absolutely incorrect!

Sharp particles pack down solid. Think of a gravel road. Sharp particles, but over time, it settles into a firm structure. With little air pockets.

Instead, imagine a glass full of round marbles. There's always empty space between them.

Also, it's important to have a consistent size particle. If all particles are the same size, the air spaces stay open. If there are a mixture of sizes, the small particles work their way in between the larger ones, and fill up the air gaps. Thus, becoming solid.

Interesting, so sharp particles don't increase root ramification? I find if I leave these peas as they are the soil remains wet for a long time though (?) Maybe too much organics. I need some here to hold water otherwise I would be watering twice a day. When crushing these peas there is not much usable after sieving :0/

 

[maroun.c]

There is a type of conifer that grows well here even in full sun, same soft wood as pine it looks a lot like a conifer anyway. I took cuttings but I went away and they died. These trees have scale like leaves and seem to do really well in the sun and heat. I hear Pines are very difficult in this kind of heat. Not impossible to grow though, but they are not made for here. They can be grown very successfully inside if there is sufficient humidity and light though.

I'm based in Lebanon, it gets hot here in summer but only for 2 months and max temp is usually 34-35 degrees celsius except if we have a really bad heat wave and it could go up a few degrees more for maybe 2-3 days. night temperature drops by 5-10 degrees at night. I live around 250 meters above see level and the whole surroundign is pine trees.
A plant nursery close by have a cedrus lebani (aroun 1 meter high) and they have raised it since last year. would dream of growing a nice formal upright Cedar bonsai.

 

[maroun.c]

Yes. If you break one open there is lava rock inside. These clay balls are not the right sharpness for optimum root development in Bonsai though. The particles need to be sharp to encourage ramification of the roots see

Are we sure the inside of those clay balls is lava rock? that would mean one less type of soil to look for.

 

[Aiki_Joker]

I'm based in Lebanon, it gets hot here in summer but only for 2 months and max temp is usually 34-35 degrees celsius except if we have a really bad heat wave and it could go up a few degrees more for maybe 2-3 days. night temperature drops by 5-10 degrees at night. I live around 250 meters above see level and the whole surroundign is pine trees.
A plant nursery close by have a cedrus lebani (aroun 1 meter high) and they have raised it since last year. would dream of growing a nice formal upright Cedar bonsai.

Brilliant, this is perfect then mate!

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Are we sure the inside of those clay balls is lava rock? that would mean one less type of soil to look for.

It certainly looks and behaves a lot like it if it isn't

 

[Aiki_Joker]

It certainly looks and behaves a lot like it if it isn't

Just checked Google and they are down as being clay, they look like fired clay on the outside, but inside like lava rock with fine pores

 

[Aiki_Joker]

An amazing tree and some excellent work you've done on the tree in that thread. I like how the bark had evolved on that trunk in only 2 years time and that it got thicker rather quick.
Got a similar trunk with a hump on the bottom which I might try to chop low as you did.
Thanks.

That is a very cool design and the root look amazing! Did you get much thickening of the trunk with that short growth or was it the illusion of the short chop and the pot? I'm thinking of thickening but I thought I would need to grow the olive out for that.

 

[ColinFraser]

only 2 years time and that it got thicker rather quick.

Did you get much thickening of the trunk with that short growth or was it the illusion of the short chop and the pot?

Let's be clear: There has been ABSOLUTELY NO TRUNK THICKENING since I have been working that tree. Any appearance of that is due to the change in proportion, size of pot, etc. The trunk itself is exactly as I bought it (even the bark, which appears to change only because of the low quality of the first photo). That was the point of my previous post - the thickening stopped when the pruning/training began.