Olive Tree In Pot Care Uk
4 pick a good pot for your olive tree.
Olive tree in pot care 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. Younger specimens or standard olive trees in pots should be top dressed too use any but good quality compost. Plant your tree in a mix of potting soil and perlite or small rocks. When selecting a container opt for clay or wood.
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. If growing an olive tree on heavy clay soil you should dig in plenty of gravel to prevent waterlogging the roots. Harvest september to december. The olive tree is an evergreen that flourishes in hot dry areas and as such will not do well in wet winter soil.
We recommend using a terracotta rather than plastic container and a sandy or loamy compost. Plastic containers retain more water which can be deadly for an olive tree. Although if you are looking to grow the wonderful fruits and flowers that olive trees produce the soil must never be dry. Feed your olive tree regularly throughout the growing season with a mixture of fast and slow release feeds.
So in colder areas of the country you can grow olives in large 60cm 2ft diameter and depth containers. 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. The olive tree olea europaea is a classic mediterranean tree that we might associate more with holidays than our own back garden. The best way to grow olive trees in the uk is to keep them in pots.
Once planted you never need to water the tree again however the tree will not look as healthy as it could do with plenty of water. Type fruit tree. A good quality plastic pot however has the benefit of being more lightweight and less prone to breakage. Place your container grown olive trees in a spot that receives at least 6 hours of full sunlight each day.
Height 3 to 10 feet 1 to 3 m exposure full sun. They can be grown in borders but make good container plants too. Whether your olive is planted in the ground or in a pot it is essential to ensure maximum drainage. John innes no 3 is ideal as it s perfect for mature specimens so good for mature and ancient olive trees.
Name olea europea. During a dry winter you may need to water your olive tree. Soil soil mix. 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.