there may be more peeps in the fruit forum.. who do this kind of thing ... should you fail to get many answers here

ken

Thnaks, Ken- now how can i get a moderator to switch it......Hmmmmmmm, lets see.......

I've not bud grafted olives, but I have citrus. There are numerous ways to encourage a bud to sprout.

1) you can lop off the branch above the bud (like you did), but you may not have cut close enough to the bud. I would strip away all the sprouts above the bud, except for maybe 1. That one can be pinched back a bit. Or you could recut the branch closer to the graft. If there are any dormant buds on the branch above the graft, they will sprout before the bud.

2) you can bend the branch above the bud downward and tie it. This keeps sap flowing to the end of the branch but concentrates growth hormones toward the bud.

3) You can notch the bark above the bud on the bud graft side. This concentrates growth hormones to the bud graft, but only on that side of the branch.

4) you can girdle the bark above the graft.

Hope this helps....and hope someone with more olive experience will chime in.