Tips To Grow Olives In Your Garden

Thursday, December 17, 2015, 15:01 [IST]

Olive is a good option to make your garden special. It is a Mediterranean evergreen tree. Growing olive is not a difficult task, if you are ready to spend some time and effort.

Knowing some important facts about the growth requirements of olives can be enough to make your effort successful.

If you are thinking how to grow olives in your garden, here are some tips for you. Olives are suitable and can be grown in your home garden, as it is less care-demanding.

Once you are successful in establishing a constant growth, the tree can grow even without paying much attention. Olive trees can cope with extreme climatic conditions as well.

You can plant olives in the ground or in pots. Since the plant grows slowly, usually there is no need of pruning it. Plants grown in containers can grow faster when compared to those grown on the ground.

The choice of where to plant the tree depends on your space availability. The drainage and watering of an olive plant should be adjusted, depending on whether you are cultivating the trees for fruits or for oil.

Here, we shall discuss more about some important tips to grow olive plants in your garden.

Climate

Olives can grow best in mild winters and warm summers. Even though a mild cold temperature is not harmful, frost may affect the growth of olives. Also, make sure that the blooming season is in summer because the plant pollinates mainly through wind. Wet climate can affect pollination.

Drainage

Olive trees can be damaged if the soil is too damp or wet. Always make sure that you are planting olives in areas with good drainage facilities. If you are planting it in pots, make sure that you are using a soil that can support good drainage. This is one among the tips to grow olives in your garden.

Soil Preparation

Make sure that the soil supports drainage. Also, use less fertilizers while preparing the soil for planting olives. Soil should be loose, so that it can assist good root growth with enough aeration. Planting cover-crops or adding compost can provide the necessary nitrogen required for the plant's growth.

Prefer Self-Fertile Trees

Self-fertile trees pollinate with the flowers of the same tree. At the same time, self-sterile varieties of olives will need another tree nearby for pollination. While selecting olive plants, remember to select the variety that you prefer.

Planting

You can plant olives either directly on the ground or in pots. Prepare the soil, such that it allows proper drainage and add a nitrogen-rich manure. Adjust the pH of the soil above 6.5 by adding lime. Keep the plant in direct sunlight. This is one of the tips to grow olives in your garden.

Pruning

Since the tree grows very slowly, pruning is not always required. But, potted plants can grow a bit faster; and in such cases, you can do pruning. Remove unwanted branches to support the growth of the tree. Younger trees usually don't require regular pruning.

Pest Control

Olive trees can experience pest attacks like black scale and verticillium wilt. This can affect the normal growth of the plant. Therefore, it is recommended to use proper insecticides, once you detect an attack of pests. Also, take action to cut off the affected branches.

Hope all your doubts regarding olive plants have been cleared now. What are you waiting for? Plant some olives and bring nature to your garden!