Olive trees, which date back to ancient Greece, are one of the world’s oldest cultivated trees, valued not only for their delectable fruit but also for their many decorative qualities.
These unusual trees are lovely garden focus pieces in all seasons, with their silvery foliage, gnarled trunks, and clusters of fragrant white blooms in the spring.
Olive trees thrive in a sunny Mediterranean climate, such as that found along the California coast, although they can be grown practically everywhere if protected from harsh winters.
Read Also:
- How To Grow And Care For Pawpaw Trees
- 9 of The Best Cold Hardy Cherry trees
- How to Grow and Care for Bonsai Fruit Trees
You may also cultivate olive trees in containers and bring them inside before the first frost. This article will discuss how we can grow and care for olive trees.
So without wasting any further let’s jump right into it
How To Plant Olive Trees
Olive trees demand a sunny location and well-drained soil. Avoid areas where water collects after rainstorms or where groundwater seeps into a two-foot-deep pit. However, the olive should not be confused with a desert plant. It needs to be watered regularly to thrive. If your tree is kept too dry for too long, it will suffer and maybe die due to a lack of water.
- Select a location with at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. The sun should be shining brightly.
- Plant your tree at the same depth as it was in the pot. Do not add organic matter, moisture-retaining polymers, fertilizer, or anything else to the soil. Plant in native soil and backfill with it.
- If your tree has to be staked, it will have one already in the container. As a young tree grows, a stronger stake may be required.
- A stake is no longer required if the trunk calliper reaches 1.25 inches or more in diameter (or possibly less for shrub-form or short trees). Use a stake large enough to hold the trunk erect till then.
- Place the new stake in the same hole as the old one, and secure the tree to it with arborists’ tape that came with your staked tree.
- Wires, water hoses, fabric, cables, guying systems, and other methods of tree fastening are not recommended. All you need is a sturdy stake and the appropriate adhesive.
Caring for Your Olive Tree Indoors
Select a location in your home with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, such as a southern exposure. Allowing the leaves to touch the window glass might amplify the sunlight and cause them to burn.
If your tree threatens to surpass its space as a houseplant, prune the developing tips to maintain it bushy. If necessary, cut some branches to maintain the tree open in the centre and provide ample light and air to the leaves.
Olive trees are Mediterranean natives, thus they can withstand arid conditions. Most people do not require increased humidity in their homes.
In the fall and winter, feed the tree with a balanced houseplant fertilizer once a month. Start feeding twice a month when spring arrives, or use a timed-release fertilizer. To figure out how much to use, go to the product’s instructions.
Scale can attack indoor olive plants, so keep an eye out for evidence of these sap-sucking insects. If necessary, spray the tree with insecticidal soap.
Your tree is unlikely to bear fruit indoors. To induce flowering, it requires a dip in the daytime and nighttime temperatures, as well as two months of temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Harvesting Olives:
Depending on how you plan to utilize olives, you can pick them while they are still green or after they have fully ripened in late autumn.
The majority of newly picked olives (even those that are fully ripe) are bitter and must be cured before eating, either by brining or sun drying.
Olive trees, like apple trees, bear in cycles, so don’t be shocked if your tree has a great crop one year and a low crop the next.
Young olive trees may not bear optimal fruit until they are 4-5 years old, and then the yield will grow.
Diseases And Pests:
Verticillium wilt, olive fruit flies, olive knot, and black scale should all be avoided. You can either trim affected stems or use neem oil to treat these voracious pests.
The olive fruit fly is the most destructive pest of fruit-bearing trees, and by laying its eggs just beneath the skin of the fruit, it can destroy an olive crop.
Fruit fly control is tough, and it is best accomplished by good gardening practices. Flytraps have shown to be effective for some home gardeners.
Olive anthracnose, a fungal disease, can also harm trees. Use a fungicide to combat the problem, such as this one from Garden Safe, which is available on Amazon.
Are Our Olive Trees Easy to Care For?
Olive trees are commonly thought of as low-maintenance houseplants. Because these plants thrive outside, direct sunlight, fresh air, and a constant watering regimen are the most critical components in keeping your indoor olive tree healthy.
Do Olive Trees Require Direct Sun?
The growth of the olive tree requires direct sunlight. Your indoor olive tree should be placed near a south-facing window. Open the window for a few hours each day during the warmer months to allow the tree to get some fresh air.
Are our Olive Trees Harmful to Animals?
Olive trees are non-toxic to humans and pets, making them an excellent choice for growing in homes with children, cats, dogs, and other animals.
Olive trees are slow-growing plants that gain 2 to 4 inches in height per year on average. Indoor olive trees grow even more slowly than those planted in the ground, and they only need to be repotted every few years in a larger container.
Conclusion
So, what are your thoughts on the matter? Is it time to plant an olive tree in the garden to cover that space?
Choose a kind that meets your needs, give it enough of the water until it establishes itself, keep an eye out for olive fruit flies, and you’ll soon be enjoying your homegrown olive goods with friends and family.
Do you have an olive tree in your yard? What kind of plant is it? In the comments area below, tell us about your olive tree adventures.
