Olive Tree Watering Care
Allow it to dry out between waterings and test the soil with your finger to get a sense for when water is needed he says.
Olive tree watering care. Olive trees are native to the mediterranean so they can tolerate dry air. Olive trees are very drought resistant. They may need some irrigation. Continue to fertilize your olive.
Avoid sites where water stands during rainy periods or where ground water seeps into a hole two feet deep. And of course make sure your container has plenty of drainage holes. Olive trees grow slowly especially in fall and winter so avoid overwatering. Water thoroughly to settle the soil.
Once you begin to see a quantity of new growth feed the olive tree with nitrogen rich compost conventional fertilizer or concentrated organic. Cut back your watering to 1 1 2 inches every two weeks after the olive tree s first few months in its new location. Do not however confuse the olive for a desert plant. This helps the tree to open up and allow sunlight access to the fruit.
However they still require water to survive. After an olive tree is established deep watering once monthly is sufficient. Fully dry soil means it s safe to grab the watering can. Prune the tree lightly in the first four years removing only branches that are growing towards the center of the tree.
With proper olive tree care it is best to begin fertilizing in march using a high nitrogen fertilizer. Water the olive tree thoroughly once a month after the first month. Make sure not to overwater. Olive trees require a well drained soil and a sunny position.
Insufficient water will cause your tree to suffer and even die if left too dry for too long. Place your container grown olive trees in a spot that receives at least 6 hours of full sunlight each day. Olive trees are accustomed to hot dry climates where water isn t available for months so salmeri cautions that you never want to overwater your olive tree. 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.
Only water when the top several inches of soil have dried out completely when it comes to olives it s better to water too little than too much. Once your new olive tree is planted it is a good idea to provide drip irrigation as the tree will need water every day especially during the summer months throughout its first year. When establishing an olive tree keep the soil moist yet not saturated. 6 increase watering to 2 inches every two weeks in the late spring and late fall.
Olive trees like soil that drains easily like a cactus mix. It needs regular watering to thrive. Watering it more often will produce weak shallow roots.