Olive (Olea europaea) - UPDATE

 this is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for the European Olive (Olea europaea). Click-on to access the full history of this tree.

 This summer has been kind to the Olive tree, as it has for many of the 'little trees' in the collection. He has really started to fill out now..the trunk is thickening, lower branches as well & the canopy is becoming denser with adult leaves.

The color of the leaves is a dark, healthy green and with no more than minimal pruning has taken on the classic "pom-pom" shape of the classic Olive under cultivation.

He is due for a repot & fresh potting mix, & maybe a more permanent home than the training tray. I am anxious to see how his root structure has progressed.

Fremont Cottonwood (Populis Fremontii) - UPDATE

 Note: this is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for the Fremont Cottonwood; click to see the full history of this plant.

I didn't know Cottonwoods trees even grew in California & I don't think I've ever seen one growing in a pot, but I'm a believer now.

In July, I reported on how the old adage, location, location, location applies to this little tree, at least. He is continuing to add foliage & is slowly building what I think is going to be an impressive canopy.

I do credit finding a more suitable location for him, but also, I think I've learned how to style & prune him in order to stimulate more branching & back-budding.

Now it is time to "grow some wood".. that will be the priority over the next few months..in the meantime, a repot before the solstice & a transition to an inorganic Potting mix are the main priorities for this tree.

Coprosma 'Karo Red' (aka Mirror Plant) - UPDATE

 this excerpt is the latest entry to the Photo/History page for Karo Red; click to visit or use the menus on the r-hand side of every page.

 2 or 3 days ago, I noticed that the Coprosma's foliage was looking dull, dingy, not the usual evergreen "shiny" leaves & looking closer, saw that foliage was wilting & dying.

We have had unusually hot weather this summer, in fact, the last 6 weeks have constituted one of the hottest summers ever recorded. On further inspection, it seemed that the potting mix was unusually wet, as if the plant was not using any water..I have had this plant (as well as my entire collection) in a Cactus & Succulent mix for the past 18 months or so, but I have not previously encountered anything like this.

I aerated the soil with a chopstick, removed the top dressing & let the soil dry out for 24 hours..the soil appeared "dusty" after drying out..watered deeply, but after another 24 hours, observed that the tree was not taking-up water & that the potting mix had largely become muddy.

This is one of my older plants & other than some leaf burn from an accidental liquid ferilizer spill, has been among the best behaved..he survived the chemical spill & regrew the burned foliage; he survived "bonsai-fication" without a whimper..root pruning & potting in a 3" deep Bonsai tray did not faze him & in spite of the heat this summer, I thought the plant was doing well

This morning, I will de-pot the Karo Red & take a look a the roots..he MAY just be root bound, but that would be too easy. I suspect a complete breakdown & failure of the potting mix & have already made the decision to repot this little tree in an inorganic mix. (my intention is to completely do-away with the old potting mix..no more dirt).

Looking at the Coprosma after de-pot, & he sure isn't "root-bound", so we can eliminate that theory. After rinsing-off the roots & taking a close look, the roots look & feel OK. They are not mushy, no greasy black areas. although I feel like the lack of more feeder roots after this much time is disapointing..he should have developed more roots just under the base, I think..I wonder if the aggregate top dressing I've been using was too thick &/or too tight around the base of the trunk? 

No evidence of "root rot", so maybe I can save this tree..I am attached to Red..not because he is a particularly good looking specimen or that he is a rare or unique tree, but because he is one of my earliest acquisitions & has survived my bumbling efforts, up till now.

Nothing left to do now but re-pot, using the Bonsai Mix & hope for the best. I have been advised to water him in after the repot, keep him out of the direct sun & leave him alone for a couple of days

Only time will tell..check back in a couple of days.

Pittosporum tenuifolium - 'Beach Ball Kohuhu' - UPDATE

exerpted from the Photo/History page for Beach Ball Kohuhu where you can see the full history for this tree.

Sept 8, 2026

The Kohuhu had a good summer so far, filling out & growing new branches & developing a curved trunk that I think will probably become a permanent feature of this tree. 

Back-budding has restored much of the foliage & is a promise of what is to come. He has thrived in 4-6 hours/day of direct sun & our July-Aug heat has not fazed him.

The foliage is now assuming the classical shape & glossy-green that characterizes the Pittosporum. (compare to Wheeler's Dwarf )

I'm hoping that the leaves do not grow much larger than they are now..one of the problems with dwarf or miniatures trees is that they retain larger leaf sizes which are out of scale with the rest of the plant.

I will continue the same regimen for this plant going forward as he obviously happy here, on the patio.

Dwarf Japanese Juniper (Juniperis procumbens 'Nana") - 2.0

 this is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for Japanese Juniper 'Dwarf' (Juniperis procumbens 'Nana')

I've had an eye out for another juniper, although I wouldn't call it a search, I've been waiting for the cheap, $10., "nana" (another name for dwarf) plants to show up at the nursery. I need more conifers for the collection & winter is coming when my maples, citrus & others will be "napping".

I forgot to take the "before" photo before I started preliminary pruning ..opening-up the tree by clearing the overhanging foliage to reveal the trunk & base. You can see the rim of the nursery pot, which I cut-away to be able to see & get at my task.

Little by little, as we remove foliage, the shape of   a bent-looking trunk, old & twisted, possibly shaped by wind or as the plant reached for sunlight.

As I removed more foliage, I began to realize that the trunk actually bends back on itself, forming a 'U' shape. In addition, the plant was seated at an angle in the pot, suggesting that originally, this 'nana' might have grown perpendicular or on a small incline.

The hard part of style-pruning, or pruning in general, is knowing when to stop, but that is easier said than done. I may well have over-pruned this little tree, already.

And, I've decided to hold-off on a repot until I've had a chance to see how this tree reacts to what we've done so far.