Olive Tree Cultivation Uk
Olives olea europaea are evergreen trees that will add a mediterranean touch to the garden.
Olive tree cultivation uk. Growing olive trees in the uk. It isn t so much the weather that matters but creating the conditions olive trees prefer. Like other plants the olive tree is gov erned by a devel op ment cycle bound to the sea sons of the year. Planting in the ground is best carried out in spring.
Picking the right olive tree. However they make good street trees and garden trees in the uk with attractive pale green evergreen leaves slow growing habit and compact size. In cold or northern regions winter protection in a conservatory for example will be required. The uk climate is surprisingly well suited to growing olives.
Olives are hardy and frost resistant to 15c without the need to fleece. Plants can be planted in the soil in cool climates if you have a very sheltered town garden but are more suitable for growing in large containers that can be given a sunny spot outdoors in summer then moved into a frost free place overwinter. They are wind resistant and drought hardy a winning combination that means olive trees are truly easy to grow. Temperatures below 10 degrees celsius along with a fluctuation in night and daytime temperatures initiates the fruiting process.
The care and feeding of olive trees 02 09 2015 planting olive trees require a well drained soil and a sunny position. It will thrive in a large pot in a bright spot on the patio or balcony or in an unheated conservatory or greenhouse. Despite being a mediterranean plant an olive tree needs at least two months cold weather to produce flower and fruit. Avoid sites where water stands during rainy periods or where ground water seeps into a hole two feet deep.
It needs regular watering to thrive. They are suited to garden or container cultivation and may produce fruit in mild regions and warm summers in the uk. The olive tree is slow growing and is therefore ideal for pot growing. The english climate is perfect for growing an olive tree.
Plant mature olive trees because they are more hardy than young plants making them better suited to the uk s temperate climate. Olive trees are usually purchased in either 4 inch pots with numerous side branches and a height of 18 24 inches or in a 1 gallon pot with a single trunk and a height of 4 5 feet. Although olive trees conjure up images of warm weather and the sun kissed mediterranean you can grow an olive tree in the uk. Thus hav ing spent the win ter in a deep state of lethargy it is in the spring sum mer and autumn that it under goes the most stages.
Do not however confuse the olive for a desert plant. Olive trees need at least three months a year of cold weather to flower and fruit. The olive tree olea europaea is a classic mediterranean tree that we might associate more with holidays than our own back garden.