
(Olea Europaea)
|
Got a
problem plant? Request a care guide written for you! We will add it to
our series to benefit everyone.
info@eastofedenplants.co.uk
|
General
Care Instructions
Olives
are evergreen trees, growing (slowly!) to 9 - 12m tall, with a spread of 7-9m at 100 years. The
fruits may be gathered while they are still green, or when they are fully
ripe and have turned black.
Olives grow well in sub-tropical and temperate areas with an optimum temperature
range of 5-25°C. They need long, hot summers for the fruits to ripen
fully, followed by winter temperatures that are low enough to meet the
chilling requirement of the specific cultivar. Although mature trees are
remarkably frost tolerant, down to -12°C, young olive plants are not
fully hardy. So to be completely safe container grown plants can be placed
outdoors in the summer and brought into a cold greenhouse or conservatory
for winter protection.
Hot, dry
winds and cool, wet weather during the flowering period reduce fruit set.
In temperate areas olives are usually grown as ornamental trees in warm
gardens, but seldom flower or fruit unless in areas with prolonged sunshine
and heat. |
 |
The
Olive tree symbolises the essence of the Mediterranean landscape. It is
an elegant, evergreen tree which makes an excellent specimen plant for
a sunny courtyard in a terracotta
pot or planted in a Mediterranean style garden.
If
you are bold enough, there is nothing quite like your own olive grove,
under planted with lavender to stimulate the imagination.
East
of Eden Plants is proud to be part of the local gardeners and growers
community.
Contact
us for advice on ordering your olive trees
See
our large
plant pots for olives, and other architectural plants.
|
| 
|
Pots
and compost
Olives grow and fruit well in terracotta
pots. They are best grown in well drained pots with loam-based compost,
such as John Innes No 3 adding grit for good drainage, and crock at the
base of the pot. Raise pots on feet for free drainage in wet seasons.
It is recommended to start off with smaller pots,
gradually repotting until you reach the largest size. If your plants get
too large to move there are some great pot movers now on the market.
|
 |
Site
and Planting
Olives are happy in a wide range of soils, although low to medium fertility
is preferable. Soils that are very fertile are likely to result in excessive
vegetative growth. We find that the establishing of newly planted olives
is enhanced by the use of a Mediterranean mycorrhizal mix, such as ‘Friendly
Fungi' produced by Rootgrow. The use of a soil conditioner, e.g. Rootgrow ROOTFOOD
humate also helps provides good results. Both products are particularly
helpful to prevent the compost in pot planted olives from going sour.
The site must be well drained. Olives grow well on alkaline soils, including
those with a high level of salts, provided that the pH level does not
exceed 8.5. Windbreaks should be used in exposed areas.
The usual planting distance varies from 7m to 12m each way, depending
on the habit of the cultivar; all olives should be staked to avoid wind
damage. Closely planted trees may be thinned by re-moving alternate trees
when the canopies begin to overlap.
|


|
 |
Routine
care
Top-dress with slow release fertiliser, or any general fertiliser with medium to high levels
of nitrogen, at a yearly rate of about 0.5-kg per tree, applied in two
or three doses when the trees are in active growth. Applications of potassium
and, possibly, boron supplements may be necessary on some soils. Apply
a liquid feed every three to four weeks. Re-apply a soil conditioner every 12 months to produce
optimum growth and fruiting.
|

The olive
branch -
universal symbol of peace and fertility |
| Watering
Water olives regularly during dry periods, particularly for the first
two to three years after planting. Mulching with organic material is also
beneficial. Keep the planting area free of weeds.
|
 |
|

Delicate
grandeur - flowers appear in late spring |
Pruning
and Training
Prune newly planted olives by re-moving the leading shoot when it is about
1.5m tall; select 3 to 5 strong laterals to provide the basic branch structure.
Subsequent pruning consists of removing older branches to encourage the
growth of new shoots, since fruits are produced on one-year-old wood mostly
at the edges of the tree canopy
Fruit thinning may be necessary, if the trees show signs of biennial bearing.
Thinning is generally done by hand, but applications of a spray containing
phytohormones 4-18 days after flowering may also be effective.
|

Mediterranean
colour - leaves turn from pale green to verdigris (oxidised copper and
bronze) |
| Flowering
and Fruiting
Olives produce a very insignificant cream flower. To flower and fruit
successfully olives need at least two months of temperatures below 10°C
in winter. However for best results avoid prolonged cold weather below
7.5°C or winter temperatures above 15.5°C as both can prevent
successful fruit production.
Most cultivars are self-fertile, but pollinators may be necessary to increase
fruit yield in cooler climates. Olives are pollinated by insects and also
by wind; high humidity levels inhibit pollination. |

|
|

Harvest
time
Picture taken Cornwall 26.11.2004 |
Pests
and Diseases
Olives grown in the open may be affected by various types of scale insect
and root-knot nematodes . Olive diseases include Verticillium wilt. Trees
grown under cover may be affected by whiteflies, thrips, and red spider
mites. Growing under cover, rooted cuttings or budded plants should be
grown either in prepared beds or in containers no smaller than 30-35cm
in diameter. |

New growth
Picture
taken Plymouth 7.2.2005
|
| |
|
|
| Call
01752 822782 or 0781 279 7127 - talk to the experts |
|
| East
of Eden Plants |
|
|
| info@eastofedenplants.co.uk |
 |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Homepage About
Us Gardens Garden
Accessories Design Plants
Business Interiors Home
Interiors Landscape
Projects Care
Guides Delivery
|