Olive Tree Growth Requirements
For those gardeners with harsh winter conditions olive trees can be grown in containers and brought indoors for the winter.
Olive tree growth requirements. Top dress the soil around the olive tree with a 3 inch layer of mulch. Plant your olive trees in a sunny spot with well drained soil. In areas with particularly hot summers and little rain you may need to water more often. It needs regular watering to thrive.
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. The arbequina is drought tolerant but does better with moisture. Evergreen perennial plant tree. The areas where olive trees are cultivated for commercial use must have an average annual temperature of 60 68 f 15 20 c.
Olive trees never bear fruit in the same place on a stem so new growth each year is essential for flower production and fruiting. Growing speed of the plant. Do not however confuse the olive for a desert plant. Lower temperatures than this can cause serious damage to the trees.
Olive trees grow in a wide variety of climatic conditions and will grow well in any area with hot dry summers and mild winters. The olive tree is a dry weather plant but it doesn t grow well in desert conditions. It needs frequent watering and at least 6 hours of sunlight every day. 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 it s considered a slow to moderate grower four to 12 inches a year soil quality and pruning can greatly affect that. Average growing plants slow growing plants. Water the arbequina deeply to a depth of 10 inches once a month during the summer. Avoid sites where water stands during rainy periods or where ground water seeps into a hole two feet deep.
The absolute maximum temperature can reach 104 f 40 c without causing damage but the minimum should not fall below 20 f 7 c. Once established they ll require minimal care but you will need to protect them if winter temperatures drop below 20 degrees. Cold is required for proper blooming and fruit bearing interestingly many varieties of olive trees in temperate climates actually need some degree of cold weather. With some basic regular care your olive tree can give you many years of pleasure.
If planted in areas where winter is too mild an olive tree won t enter dormancy and flower buds won t fully mature. Depending on the species and cultivar some types reach only six feet while others can tower up to 30 feet. Insufficient water will cause your tree to suffer and even die if left too dry for too long. Dig a hole just the size of the.
Because of their natural growth habit tea olives don t require pruning. Pruning can be tricky.