Olive Tree Pot Drainage
Placing a inch or two of styrofoam gravel or any other kind of filler on the bottom of the pot will keep the soil well drained.
Olive tree pot drainage. Keep the pot in full sun. Olive trees like soil that drains easily like a cactus mix. Repot the olive every year into a larger pot as olives won t tolerate cramped roots. Then follow the directions above for loosening the roots and planting.
Ground soil will not. Be sure to use a potting mix and not ground soil. The pot should have ample drainage holes and be propped up on blocks to ensure the holes are not obstructed. When you are ready to re pot your olive tree get a larger pot and some good quality commercial potting mix.
How to re pot an olive tree. Never use dirt out of your yard or heavy dense potting medium labeled for house plants. Using a loam based compost such as john innes no 3 is best and the addition of about 20 grit will help a lot with drainage. When selecting a container opt for clay or wood.
Then fill the remainder of the pot to cover the existing roots by about inch. How to repot an olive tree. How to grow olive trees in pots. Key is good drainage using sharp sand and gravel.
Remove the olive tree from the container you purchased it in and gently shake off the soil from the roots. If you live and garden in zone 8 or warmer you can plant your olive tree outside. Place a layer of small stones on the bottom of the pot for extra drainage. Plant your tree in a mix of potting soil and perlite or small rocks.
Dig a hole twice the diameter of your potted tree and as deep. Fill the pot half full with potting mix and place the seedling in. If the olive tree is a pot bound when you change pots perform. Give it a spot with full sun and if needed amend your soil with compost or other organic material so improve the drainage.
Plant into the new container gently pack down the soil and then water in well. Once the previous soil has been removed gently trim off any dead or dying roots. This will also keep the pot more stable than using peat based compost which is less dense. Any commercial well draining potting soil will be fine for an olive tree.
It is good to go ahead and move it up and let it feed if the weather is warm. Winter care keep frost free by using protection of a porch or unheated greenhouse bubblewrap by the stripey gardener. Always be sure to use potting soil that drains well. Plastic containers retain more water which can be deadly for an olive tree.
In fact good drainage is the most important thing to consider when growing olive trees either in pots or in the ground. Olive trees like extremely well draining rocky soil.