Olive Tree In Pot Care
As long as you have a sufficiently large pot the tree can live up to eight or nine years in it.
Olive tree in pot care. Plastic containers retain more water which can be deadly for an olive tree. Planting olive trees in a pot olive trees can survive a number of years in a pot although they will ultimately need to be planted in the ground to survive. Plant your tree in a mix of potting soil and perlite or small rocks. Soil dries up much faster so it is necessary to water on a regular basis.
Make sure not to overwater. Water thoroughly to settle the soil. Olive trees require a well drained soil and a sunny position. It needs regular watering to thrive.
When planted olive tree into the pot make sure to set the tree in the pot so that the soil line on the root ball is about 5 cm 2 inches depth. John innes no 3 is ideal as it s perfect for mature specimens so good for mature and ancient olive trees. Every two weeks during the growth phase add olive tree fertilizer to the water. Do not however confuse the olive for a desert plant.
As well you can run into problems if the pot is too large for the current olive tree size. Too often the olive trees are planted a little bit too deep in the pot causing root defects. When you can stick your finger about an inch deep into the pot and the soil feels dry it s time water again. Olive trees do not like excess water so only reduced watering is called for.
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. As with most pot grown plants olive trees do not like frozen roots. Larger more established olive trees do not need to be re potted on a yearly basis but will benefit from a small layer of compost spread around the base of the tree.
Olive trees are native to the mediterranean so they can tolerate dry air. Younger specimens or standard olive trees in pots should be top dressed too use any but good quality compost. Avoid sites where water stands during rainy periods or where ground water seeps into a hole two feet deep. Olive trees grow slowly especially in fall and winter so avoid overwatering.
Pruning skip out on pruning your olive tree during the first year. Growing plants in pots and specifically olive trees requires that certain rules be followed as regards watering. After that prune the olive tree during the spring season. 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. Keep the pot in full sun.