But this is an option only if temperatures in your area won’t drop below 30°F, or if you can protect the tree. If you’ve provided your olive tree with a happy home, it will begin to bear fruit when it’s around five years old. This Spanish native produces large crops of small fruit with a high oil content that are very flavorful. In this growing guide, we’ll learn more about this Mediterranean import that gifts its caretakers with fabulous fruit, healthful oils, and an attractive addition to the landscape. Follow the product directions to know how much to use. Think of olive trees and one visualizes the warm sunny Mediterranean, but olive trees can be grown in North America as well. To increase fruit set, it is recommended that you plant more than one cultivar close together. Hi Kenneth — so happy you’ve found us here at Gardener’s Path. A 20-22 inches container would be apt to grow olives. They must be cured to dispel their inherent bitterness, which is caused by the chemical compound called “oleuropein.”. If you’re growing your olive tree in a border, dig a hole and add mycorrhizal fungi to help the tree establish quickly. Use a saucer underneath the container to catch drips; sit the container on some bricks or blocks so the water can drain easily out of the holes. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! 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. If waiting until spring seems more prudent, hold off until all danger of frost is past. First published July 9th, 2018. It can vacation outside until frost. Enjoy stunning blooms next summer with a collection of rose standards in four colours, 'Pink', 'Red', 'White' and 'Yellow'. The olive tree’s fruit can be pressed for oil or cured (brined) and eaten. Olive trees are known for their love of the sunshine (it’s their natural habitat … Some home gardeners have had luck with fly traps, such as these from Terro, available via Amazon. This rustic delight evokes the Italian countryside. Once you begin to see a quantity of new growth, feed the olive tree with nitrogen rich compost, conventional fertilizer or concentrated organic. I planned on pruning them so I could try to keep them in the pots. But keep in mind that transplanting will tend to become increasingly difficult as these trees continue to grow. As it can grow quite large, having it in a container makes sense if you lack space, and this way, you can also take it with you while moving out! Find the right position. We don’t have to tell you that a galaxy of recipes await the olive-laden, but we’ll share just a few to get you started. You shed some light on many of my questions! Step 2. In back yard. You can simply top up the ground with a slow-release fertilizer yearly if you wish. To Gretchen, nothing is more rewarding than a quick dash to the garden to pluck herbs to season the evening meal. If your tree is in a nursery container, turn it upside down and tap the bottom. You might sample various oils at a farmers market, for example, to select a variety that appeals to you. Olive trees like to be planted in well drained soil in a sunny area of the landscape. From what we’ve heard, some gardeners have done this successfully for a decade or more! In severe winter weather, protect border-grown trees with horticultural fleece and a winter mulch around the base of the tree. You can prune off infected stems, or treat these greedy critters with neem oil, such as this one from Bonide, available from Arbico Organics. Time your olive cutting for August or September. I live in Portland, OR (right across the river from Vancouver, WA) and just bought an Aberquina olive tree to put in a container and was looking for more specifics on my area. Well-aged compost is enough to keep the soil nutritious. I live in Vancouver Washington, 8b on the agricultural climate scale. From Vintage Kitty comes this delightful recipe for an asparagus salad, which features a lemon and light olive oil vinaigrette. You have entered an incorrect email address! November Is Vegan Month, Are you feeling up to a challenge? Grammy-award winning songwri…, Kiss The Ground Delivers Critical Message For Solving Climate Crisis, Climate change is the most significant problem in our time. However, don’t become downbeat if you don’t get as much sunlight, as it is possible to grow fruit in the spring and summer months if the weather has been particularly good. The type of tree you select will depend on what you hope to get out of it. Also, let the excess water to drain freely from the bottom hole of the pots. COPYRIGHT © 2020 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Get our best gardening advice and outdoor ideas delivered straight to your inbox. Find out if planting a pecan tree is the right choice for your yard. They’ll ship you a three- to eight-inch seedling in a three-inch pot, along with a fertilizer sample. If it’s already in the largest container you want to use, top dress it instead with 2 to 3 inches of fresh potting mix. Olive trees can also be affected by honey fungus, so don’t plant in areas where this disease has been found. For table uses, harvest fruits before they turn black. On the other hand, if you want to try to get it to produce fruit, you’ll have a better chance of this outdoors where the tree will get both the heat and the chill it needs to produce fruit… Read more ». To improve your chances of fruit production, you can shake the branches during the flowering season, as the self-pollinating branches will be caught by the wind and aid flower production. Thanks for your questions, Karin. After 7 to 10 days, put your olive tree in full sun. The worst thing you can do to an olive plant is overwater! The Vegan Challenge I bought a mission olive last year at Trader Joe’s. Olives aren’t plagued by many pests, although scale can be a problem. You should place them where they can gain a minimum of six hours of sunlight per day; south-facing is best if possible! Choose the sunniest and most sheltered spot available – a south-facing spot with a brick wall behind it will work well. Olives love summers, thrive well in hot climates, and grow optimally in zones 9-10. Not all of us can grow these trees for fruit or oil. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. With our brand new eBook, featuring our favorite DIY projects for the whole family, we really wanted to create a way to not only show our appreciation for the growing Gardening Know How community, but also unite our community to help every one of our neighbors in need during these unprecedented times. Typically, olives are harvested at their green stage if their intended use is for the table, although some varieties are best when black. How do you prune the North American olive trees? Inventive humans have developed a number of ways to banish the bitterness from these otherwise tasty little ovals, curing them in oil, water, brine, lye, or simply salt. Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. Follow the instructions mentioned on the label. Olives are Mediterranean plants so thrive in conditions closest to the hot, dry climate of their native habitat. Place the tree in the container and add more soil, planting it no deeper than it was growing in its original pot. The olive tree is an evergreen that flourishes in hot dry areas, and as such, will not do well in wet winter soil. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Kick off the festive season in this creative event on how to make your own unique decorations. In order to grow fruit on your olive tree, you will need to ensure that your tree endures a period of colder weather below 10°C for two months, as well as a difference in temperatures between day and night. As we mentioned above, O. europaea is native to regions that have mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. They are together in a pot and I would like to know a little more about the care of this type of tree in our cooler climate. Sign up for our newsletter. A mature tree will produce between 30-100 pounds per season, though the giant ‘Chemlali’ may produce close to a ton per year. They only need a small amount of nitrogen, which can be delivered via compost, as well as conventional or organic fertilizers. Did you know you can grow olive trees in the landscape? Olive trees are ancient plants. I’m thinking we’re not quite warm enough here to plant outside – what are your thoughts? It’s many homeowners pride and joy, and with countless dreamy images of beautiful gardens filling Pinterest; gardeners have a wealth of inspiration to draw from in order to keep their garden looking good all year round and a paradise to escape to and relax in. Allow the water to soak the roots for at least 30 minutes before planting. As olive trees are natively exposed to an average of 300 days of sunlight per year, they will need a lot of sunlight in order to produce olives. The tree is hardy and easily adaptable when grown in a container. Also was wondering how far I should space them. This cold-hardy American native is a joy to behold in the landscape.