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Growing Olives

You may not have thought of growing olive trees in your backyard but it could be a fantastic option if you enjoy the taste of olives.  It’s not as hard as you may think either!  Read on to learn more.

Where to Grow Olive Trees

The olive tree is best grown in a climate with long, hot, dry summers, and mild to cool winters.  Some olive varieties bloom and fruit with very little winter chilling while other varieties require more cold for a normal flower differentiation.  Because the olive tree is evergreen, it is sensitive to hard freezing temperatures.

The Right Soil for Olive Trees

The olive tree is able to adapt to a wide range of soil but it prefers a balanced or neutral soil with a pH of 6.5-8.0.  Even though the olive tree can tolerate saline conditions, extremely salty soils should be avoided.  Olive trees have a relatively shallow root system, and prefer moderately fine textured soils ranging from sandy to silty, clay, or loamy soils.  No matter what the soil texture is, it is vital that it is well drained and aerated.

Watering Olive Trees

Because they are evergreen, olives use water year-round.  Leaf growth and fruit production are affected by low soil moisture.  Normally, you would water the tree once a week, with 10 to 20 litres of water at a time.  When the tree sinks its roots, you will need to water less but over a longer period of time.  That is, when you do water, it will need to be a deep soak, going down to where the feeder roots of the tree are.

Fertilising Olive Trees

The best thing to use to fertilise your olive trees is composted chicken manure.  If the tree is a year old, use one kilo of fertiliser.  For a two year old tree use two kilos of fertiliser, for a three year old tree, three kilos, and so forth.  After five years of age, stick to five kilos of fertiliser per tree per year.  Spread the fertiliser about a metre around the tree.  Stagger the fertilising over a six month period and fertilise after the harvesting and pruning period.

Pruning Olive Trees

The main goal of pruning when it comes to olive trees is to improve the canopy’s efficiency – or to gain the optimal amount of fruit.  The growth of scaffold branches needs to be controlled, with a high leaf to wood ratio.  You should prune the tree yearly.  The best time to do so is after the fruit has been harvested, which can start from April/May through to September.  Cut the branches that cross in the centre of the tree to open up the canopy to allow light and air through.  This will help the fruit to ripen.  Pruning olive trees will also rejuvenate the tree and encourage it to produce fruit and wood for the following year.

Harvesting Olives

When harvesting your olives, harvest as much of the crop as is feasible.  However, once you have harvested, the work is just beginning as olives in their natural state are inedible.  Olives need to be soaked, salted and preserved in oil to remove their bitterness.

Pests and Diseases that Affect the Olive Tree

Some pests and diseases that affect olives include black scale, olive lace bug, peacock spot, olive knot, and verticillium wilt.  Using integrated pest management practices will help to control these pests and diseases.  However, they can also be sprayed.

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