Olive Tree In Pot Winter Care
You can still own a fruiting olive tree grown in a container.
Olive tree in pot winter care. Any commercial well draining potting soil will be fine for an olive tree. During a dry winter you may need to water your olive tree. Don t worry about adding any unwanted and unnecessary feed or fertiliser in winter. Potted trees will need to be watered more often than trees planted in the ground.
We do recommend a decent compost to treat your olive tree too. Potted olive trees prefer light pruning yearly instead of severe pruning every two or three years. Place your container grown olive trees in a spot that receives at least 6 hours of full sunlight each day. Pruning and caring for a potted olive tree annual pruning is recommended at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring.
When you can stick your finger about an inch deep into the pot and the soil feels dry it s time water again. Plant your tree in a mix of potting soil and perlite or small rocks. 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. Avoid sites where water stands during rainy periods or where ground water seeps into a hole two feet deep.
When selecting a container opt for clay or wood. Place in a bright windowsill or under artificial lighting. A layer of gravel styrofoam lava rock crushed cans or anything loose should fill the bottom of the pot. Do not however confuse the olive for a desert plant.
Plastic containers retain more water which can be deadly for an olive tree. Remove branches that have grown from the foot of the tree or along the trunk. However if you live further north best is to place your olive trees in a cool and well lit place where it never freezes. A sunny balcony and the right climate are the essential things.
It needs regular watering to thrive. After two weeks of cooler temperatures or if the temperatures drop below 22 f bring the olive tree indoors. Come spring the trees are wheeled out to the sunshine again. To achieve a winter dormancy state olive trees need to be exposed to a couple weeks of nighttime temperatures that drop down to a little below freezing.
Water only if the soil is completely dry and then only small amounts of water. Olive trees grow slowly especially in fall and winter so avoid overwatering. Olive trees are known to grow incredibly well in poor and even rocky soils. Place your olive trees in the sun.
Italians have grown fruit trees in containers for centuries keeping them protected in special sheds during the winter. Olive trees are native to the mediterranean so they can tolerate dry air.