Olive Tree Growing Uk
Olive trees need at least three months a year of cold weather to flower and fruit.
Olive tree growing uk. However they make good street trees and garden trees in the uk with attractive pale green evergreen leaves slow growing habit and compact size. Do not however confuse the olive for a desert plant. 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. They can be grown in borders but make good container plants too.
It needs regular watering to thrive. Like other plants the olive tree is gov erned by a devel op ment cycle bound to the sea sons of the year. The care and feeding of olive trees 02 09 2015 planting olive trees require a well drained soil and a sunny position. Olives are hardy and frost resistant to 15c without the need to fleece.
Olives are not entirely hardy in the uk and will be damaged by temperatures below 10 c 14 f with young plants suffering after lighter frosts. In cold or northern regions winter protection in a conservatory for example will be required. Olives are drought tolerant evergreen trees with shimmering silvery foliage that love to bask in a warm sunny and sheltered position. The english climate is perfect for growing an olive tree.
Picking the right olive tree. The olive tree olea europaea is a classic mediterranean tree that we might associate more with holidays than our own back garden. As with most pot grown plants olive trees do not like frozen roots. The olive tree is slow growing and is therefore ideal for pot growing.
When growing olive trees in containers terracotta or wood is a preferable choice as these are more breathable and will help with drainage and insulation. 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. Temperatures below 10 degrees celsius along with a fluctuation in night and daytime temperatures initiates the fruiting process. A good quality plastic pot however has the benefit of being more lightweight and less prone to breakage.
Unless you are growing an olive tree for a strictly ornamental purpose it is most advisable to plant a specimen with a single trunk for ease of harvest. Each and every one of which will depend on how the buds have evolved. They are wind resistant and drought hardy a winning combination that means olive trees are truly easy to grow. So in colder areas of the country you can grow olives in large 60cm 2ft diameter and depth containers.
Whether you grow them in the ground or in a large container they will add an instant touch of the mediterranean and may sometimes in hot summers and southern gardens reward you with a heavy crop of attractive looking fruit that need special preparation to make them edible. Avoid sites where water stands during rainy periods or where ground water seeps into a hole two feet deep. The uk climate is surprisingly well suited to growing olives. It will thrive in a large pot in a bright spot on the patio or balcony or in an unheated conservatory or greenhouse.