Question
Insurance Co said our 2 25ft tall olive tress to close to house, had to be cut down. Couldn't afford to re landscape yet so we have 2 stumps that are now 5ft tall, very full, olive bushes that need a shape. Taking over siadwalk area can't see or find the stump the bush is so thick. What shap can I prune these into? Our wild bird need a tall bush but it is getting to wide, its thick from ground up. Thank you for your assistance. Much appresicated.

Answer
Hello Lee

This is quite a difficult question to answer.  

My first instinct is to say 'what a pity you didn't cut them to about 10 feet', then you could have removed the branches on the bottom six feet, so that people using the sidewalk could walk under them!

Sometimes olive bushes will tolerate being pruned back hard, and as the bushes are taking over the sidewalk I think that if they are over 3 feet from the path,  you have to cut them back to just within your garden boundary.  Make them the same width all round and cut the tops into a rounded curve to give some shape.  

Pruning and cutting back is usually done in late winter/early spring or late summer/early fall.

If the bushes are very close to the sidewalk, pruning them may be impractical and you may have to remove them altogether, though it would be a pity to lose them!

I hope the above is of some help.

Gill