"Fat Ollie"

Two years ago our club had an olive collecting opportunity. Many of the homes in Carmichael, CA were built amid old olive orchards. One homeowner wanted the olives removed from her yard and contacted us. These trees were over 100 years old. they had already been cut to stumps a couple of feet tall and most were 3 - 6 feet in diameter! We trenched and cut lateral roots (there were almost no roots going straight down).Then we used chainsaws, wedges, and sledgehammers to sp[lit off chunks and pull them out with come-alongs. We cut the bottoms flat with a chainsaw and planted them in bonsai soil. I think almost all of them survived and quickly sprouted new growth.
One stump, however, had been dug out with a backhoe and been left sitting upside - down for about six months with its roots in the air. We split this into three chunks. Mine was to become Fat Ollie.

A month after collecting new foliage is growing.
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Spring of the following year I carved deadwood and potted it.
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Last weekend I exhibited it at our club's Spring Show. While it still needs a ton of branch development and ramification, The progress in just two years from collecting is amazing.
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Paul

wow.

If you ever get a phone call like that again, you need to let me know!

I'm checking out a new redwood collecting spot on Friday, I'll let you know how it looks.

- bob

cbobgo wrote:wow.

If you ever get a phone call like that again, you need to let me know!

I'm checking out a new redwood collecting spot on Friday, I'll let you know how it looks.

- bob

Will do!

OMG! Fat Ollie indeed! Beautiful!

Oh,It's so big,a mountain.

blackrose wrote:Oh,It's so big,a mountain.

Guys, I almost thought I was looking at a landscape...

Best wishes
Gape

GOOD GOD!!!

Look forward to seeing this trees progression.

That is one nice tree !!! I sure wish i could have one that looked like that.. great job....take care john

Your vision for that fat old stump was uncanny! At the rate FAT OLLIE is progessing towards elegance, you will need to re-name it FAT OLIVER soon.

If anyone is attending the Golden State Bonsai Federation Convention in Sacramento this fall Sam Adina is leading a workshop with a bunch of similar trees from this collecting adventure but it may already be sold out.
Paul

DOUG WHITFIELD wrote:Your vision for that fat old stump was uncanny! At the rate FAT OLLIE is progessing towards elegance, you will need to re-name it FAT OLIVER soon.

I take exception to that! (but it's true...)
Oliver