Bucida buceras - Black Olive

Hi, I am preparing this tree for a show and was wondering if there is to much moss on it? This is the first tree I am showing with moss. Actually its the 2nd tree I have ever shown. This tree did not have any leaves on it in Sept. of 2011. It has been grown in the basement under lights all winter. I have been using a heating pad under it. Soil tempature was 81 degrees Fahrenheit. I have been triming off all new growth on top of the tree. Lower branches were not recieving enough light and quit growing. I provided supplemental lighting to the bottom third of the tree and it has now caught up with the top. 4" trunk, 20" tall, 22" wide.

So back to moss, is there to much? I am thinking about removing the moss after the show and seeding the soil with moss bits to make it more uniform.

Thanks,

Mike

Dec 2011


Feb 2012


June 2012

hi,
for the show i would try and find some 'flat' bits of moss too, so you have flat and little mounds rather than all mounds which looks a little wrong.

after the show it doesnt want any moss, or seeding with spores either as the moss traps loads of moisture in the pot and the olive will have better more uniform leaves and tighter growth if it is kept drier. Using moss on trees that need to keep moist during the hottest days is a good trick, but as the olive wants to be dry keep it moss free, like any pines, junipers etc

cheers.

Marcus

Hi Marcus,

Thanks for the reply. My olive tree is a tropical tree from the Bahamas. It is drought tolerate but does best with moist soil. I added some moss to the tree a couple of months ago and the tree responded by putting up small feeder roots towards the surface of the soil. I removed this moss when I was working on the root ball and respositioning the tree in the pot. Fine feeder roots where all over the place. The soil was drying out and I did not see any roots toward the surface of the soil until I started using moss on it. So I think the moss is helping to keep the tree evenly moist. I also live in a semi-arid climate and the tree will go outside for the summer. There is very little humidity during the summer. So I think the moss should help keep the soil moist as you suggested.

I will look and see if I have some flatter moss to mix in with the pin cusion moss. I may have to use some type of small gravel instead.

Mike