Hi, I have a couple of baby olive trees which I have in a plater outdoors. Lots and lots of hot sun but one of them is really struggling. From the base of the trunk (it's only 3/4" wide) it has sort of spidered out to 7 spindly branches but there is no leaf growth for about 10 inches so it looks very weird! Have added some photos at the link below. Am wondering if I was to brutally prune it to the base again, will it grow back? The other one is doing much better and is in the same spot, pot and soil. Different species though I think. Any help and guidance would be much appreciated. I'm pretty black thumbed! http://www.inhongkong.hk/homestuff/oliver.html

Morning, Treefish. One thing Olive Trees require is sun..Direct sun, if possible. I bought my Olive back in 1999. In spring through late autumn it's placed outside. Starting in semi-shade, then working its way up to direct sun. Olives, 'like many other plants,' slow down growth when temps are extremely hot, but they love the outdoors. Can you place your tree outside? It's a little late in the year, but olives appreicate cooler temps. Ironically, my olive puts out more growth from late summer on. Olives form around the same time. If you continue pruning, your tree will not produce fruit. Years ago, a former GW member suggested adding alfalfa with other soils. I found a small bag at a local hardware store. The tree needed repotting, so I added fresh soil and alfalfa. Don't know if it's coincidence, but my tree is still kicking. Considering, when it arrived at my house, the tree was packed with Scale. That's another story though. I fertilize, only during growing season. One month Fish Emulsion, the next month, balanced fertilizer..Ex: 20-20-20. Is your tree getting natural light and artificial? Toni

Not seeing how major pruning by a contractor every so many years into perpetuity is an economical choice. And if you have turned them into pollards or otherwise severely pruned specimens then the charm of the natural shapes has already been lost - maybe plant some more suitable kinds of trees among them, cut the olive trees out after the new set is of some size. Otherwise they should probably be trimmed frequently, maintained as formal specimens instead of getting whacked back hard at longer intervals. Every time they are forced to regrow most of the top that was present at the time they are drawing on nutrient reserves in the trunks and may be gradually becoming diminished by the repeated assaults. There is also the possibility of trunk decay developing due to the large pruning cuts being made. For planting near swimming pools you want plants with large parts that do not get sucked past filters. As you have described olive trees are probably about as bad a choice as one could come up with.

Cheers !.... I hope you enjoyed your little afternoon tea, Greek style..... ...I rather hope I don't get to see that kind of 'tomorrow'.... but people adapt and gardeners will still garden... new roses produced.... ...I've sometimes thought about Banksia lutea, but if I was so inclined, I might be tempted by the 'alba plena' version that's become available....- I'm surprised you haven't got it - meanwhile, I'm thinking of ordering 'The Alexandra Rose'... a single flowered Austin, to replace my Mutabilis, ....it looks more manageable...