Showing posts with label Olive trees. Show all posts

Monday, April 11, 2011

The Care and Feeding of Olive Trees

PLANTING Olive trees require a well-drained soil and a sunny position. Avoid sites where water stands during rainy periods or where ground water seeps into a hole two feet deep. Except for water-logged, mucky or extremely acidic sites, most Florida soils are ideal for olive tree culture. Do not, however, confuse the olive for a desert plant. It needs regular watering to thrive. Insufficient water will cause your tree to suffer, and even die if left too dry for too long.

Choose a site that receives at least six hours of direct sun per day. Full sun is ideal.

Plant your tree at the depth it has been growing in the pot; planting too deep is worse than planting too shallow. Do not amend the soil with organic material, moisture-retaining polymers, fertilizer or anything else. Simply plant in the native soil (provided it is well-drained) and backfill with the same.

If your tree requires staking, it will already have a stake in the pot. A very young tree may require a heavier stake as it grows. Once the trunk caliper reaches one inch in diameter (or perhaps less for shrub-form or short trees), it will no longer require a stake. Until then, use a stake large enough to hold the trunk upright. Put the new stake in the same hole the previous stake occupied and tie the tree to the stake with arborists' tape such as comes with your staked tree. Do not use wires, water hoses, cables, guying systems or other means of securing your tree. A good stout stake and the proper tape is all you need.

FERTILIZATION
Olive trees do not need special olive tree fertilizer but results will be exponentially more satisfactory with a good nutrition regimen. If planting is done after mid-October but before March 1, do not fertilize at the time of planting; wait until March. Otherwise, fertilize after planting and regularly throughout the growing season. How regularly will depend upon the type of fertilizer used. We at Olive Tree Growers prefer to use a premium slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote Plus (with essential minor elements); however, this product is not widely available through retail stores or in small packages. Many garden centers do sell Osmocote without minors in homeowner-sized packages and this may be used especially if augmented with another product from Southern Agricultural Insecticides called "Essential Minor Elements" or some other brand of minor elements package. Olive Tree Growers believes that some sort of minors package is important, as many soils are lacking in some essential minerals which aid plant growth in several ways.

A fast-release farm-type fertilizer may be used according to label directions. Many such fertilizers contain some minor elements and are widely available. Be sure to water very well after application. These fertilizers are generally not for use on plants in pots.

Fertilizers labeled for use on lawns have a very high ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus and potassium and should be avoided. Liquid fertilizers such as Miracle Gro may be used (again, a formulation with minor elements is best) but it should be remembered that liquid feeding is a fleeting thing and must be repeated often.

Organically-derived fertilizers are available and a good thing though often more expensive. Top dressing with organic material such as composted manure or kitchen compost can be done but the grower should consult the current literature. It can be difficult to achieve a good balance of nutritional elements by this method. It is environmentally responsible but requires more study and understanding by the gardener. Always avoid placing compost or any fertilizer next to the trunk of the tree.

Whatever type of fertilizer is used, it is best to feed lightly and often during the growing season. Avoid heavy applications of fast release fertilizer that could damage plants and leach or run-off into groundwater. Always read and follow label instructions. Do not fertilize after mid-August or before mid- March unless you live in a very warm climate.

If your tree is planted in a lawn area, take care that lawn maintenance practices do not harm the tree. Do not allow "Weed and Feed" products to be used anywhere near your tree. These products are designed to feed lawn grasses and destroy other plants. Remember that the roots of a tree extend far beyond the drip-line of the branches. Also, do not allow weed-eater operators anywhere near your tree. Weed-eater operators kill thousands of trees every year by "girding," or removing the bark from the bases of trees.

MULCH
Wood chips are bad, okay? Do not use wood chips, cypress mulch or any cellulose product for mulch. These products are high in carbon and rob the soil of nitrogen and other nutrients in the decomposition process. They also hold too much water in wet periods and once dry, shed irrigation water and rainfall like a shingle roof. We prefer to use only pine straw for mulch and keep it back several inches from the trunk; do not allow a build-up of decomposed mulch around the base of the tree trunk.

WATERING
Once established, olive trees are among the most drought-resistant trees in the world. That doesn't mean they prefer to suffer for water. You will have to water sufficiently to get your tree established and thereafter as necessary during very dry periods. No one can give you a formula for that; you will have to observe and evaluate.

PRUNING
Olive trees may be pruned to the desired shape. Some people prefer a tree form; others like a rounded shrub as is done in production groves to facilitate picking of the fruit. Pruning between mid-February and the ripening of fruit in the fall, except for the lightest tipping of new shoots, will result in a reduced crop. Otherwise, prune to the desired shape. Keep in mind that olives bear their fruit on last year's new growth.

PESTS
The only pests we have known to attack olive trees outside of olive producing regions is an armored scale insect. It is not common but should be watched for, especially if your site has other species prone to harbor scale insects. Inspect the trees by looking under the leaves and in the branch axils for a dark bump the size of a "BB." These insects do not move in the adult stage; they attach themselves like barnacles. The presence of sooty mold on leaves and bark indicates scale; this mold grows on the scales' secretions.

If scale is found, it may be treated with a variety of products, depending upon personal preference. Consult your local garden center. It may also be removed by hand if you have only one or a few trees.

Finally, be sure to keep ant colonies away from your trees.
http://www.olivetreegrowers.com/blog.php?view=detail&id=19

Olive Tree (Olea europaea) Facts

by Cary Cloud

1. Well suited to Many Regions
Olives prefer a well-drained soil, lots of sun and a long growing season. Mature trees can tolerate temperatures in the mid-teens. Be mindful that trees in pots are more vulnerable than established, full-grown trees in the ground, and that wind chill makes a difference. Olive trees thrive, but are not likely to fruit, in areas where winter temperatures do not frequently fall below 55 degrees F.

2. Easy to Grow
Olive trees are extremely drought tolerant once established. They are not demanding about fertilization (though they will respond well to it) and are little bothered by pests and disease. They can live a thousand years or longer. Olives are tolerant of salty winds and grow well in coastal communities.

3. Great for Landscape or Patio
Olive leaves have a glossy top surface that sparkles in high sun and a flat, silvery-gray underside that is revealed in the slightest breeze. The visual effect is sublime. They make great trees for the landscape or may be grown in large pots. The leaves are evergreen. The trees reach 15' to 40' in height, depending upon variety.

4. Fruiting
Olive trees do produce fruit in Florida. Small varieties such as 'Arbequina' (15'-20') start production early, usually within 2 years of your purchase. Some varieties may take 6 years or longer. 'Arbequina' and many others do not require a pollinator; a lone tree will produce fruit. Some other varieties are not self-fertile and do require a pollinator of a different cultivar.

5. Fine Hardwood
Olive wood is dense and fine-grained. It is prized for carving and for trim-work on premium furniture and cabinetry. Cured olive wood is sold in variously sized blocks for over $300 per cubic foot.

6. History
Man has been cultivating the olive tree for over 8000 years. Olive branches figure heavily in many religions, as they did in the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome and throughout the Mediterranean. Olives are the world's most important oil-producing crop and have been since 6000 years B.C. So important is the olive that, in early Greek and Hebrew cultures, it was a capital crime to destroy an olive tree, even one owned by an enemy. See also Olive Trees, Yesterday and Today and Olive Trees in Florida: a Brief History.
http://www.olivetreegrowers.com/blog.php?view=detail&id=20

How to Buy Olive Trees — If you Don't Know Olive Trees, Be Sure Your Dealer Does!

The first thing to determine when purchasing an olive tree is that it is, indeed, the fruiting Mediterranean olive, Olea europaea. Many other plants have the word "olive" in their common names, such as Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans), Black Olive (Bucida buceras), and Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia). There is also the African Olive, known variously as Olea africanus, Olea europaea subspecies africanus and Olea europaea subspecies cuspidata, which makes a tiny fruit and is considered a pest plant in many regions. Olea europaea cultivars can be grafted onto African olive. These trees can branch from below the graft union and produce the undesirable fruits.
Seedlings of Olea europaea are "unknowns" because their genetic makeup may not be exactly the same as the parent tree. They may or may not bloom even after several years, may make tiny fruit, or may make the best olive ever. Only time will tell. Only asexual reproduction from a known cultivar will produce that same cultivar. Seedlings have shown up on the market, labeled erroneously as the same cultivar as the parent tree.
Seedlings are useful for grafting difficult to root cultivars, but a grafted tree does not make as strong a tree as one growing on its own roots. Avoid grafted trees, especially if the seller cannot positively verify the cultivar or species used as rootstock. The type of rootstock used strongly influences the performance of the scion in many ways, often negatively. Most grafted trees offered in the retail trade are on the cultivar 'Oblonga' rootstock. 'Oblonga' is a non-fruiting cultivar that can carry verticulum wilt without outward signs of this fatal disease. When the pathogen of the rootstock moves upward into the crown of a grafted tree, the entire tree can be killed suddenly. Grafted trees can be identified by a swollen area at the base of the trunk, usually with visible diagonal lines where the scion was joined to the rootstock.
Grafting is neither necessary nor advisable for most cultivars of olive trees. The exceptions are cultivars that are especially difficult to propagate, such as 'Empeltre' or cultivars of low vigor that cannot grow on their own root, such as some large-fruited cultivars from Sicily and southern Italy.
Most olive trees require a pollinator of a different cultivar in order to make fruit. Many people have reported growing an olive tree that does not make fruit. The first thing to determine is whether it bloomed in the spring and did not get pollinated, or did not bloom at all. Trees that bloom and do not make fruit most likely need a pollinator in order to set fruit. Trees that do not bloom are either not old enough to bloom, are non-fruiting cultivars or are seedling trees, as described above. Not just any cultivar of tree will pollinate another, but there are a few that are considered universal pollinators because of their high-quality pollen and long blooming season. The Arbequina olive tree is one such cultivar.
http://www.olivetreegrowers.com/blog.php?view=detail&id=71

Winter Protection of Olive Trees

WINTER PROTECTION OF OLIVE TREES
By Cary Cloud
Olive trees are warm-temperate plants that can survive a light freeze without protection. Even a hard freeze, down to 23 degrees F, is not a problem, as long as the lowest temperatures last for only a few hours. At 22 degrees F, olive trees can suffer minor damage to branch tips, especially if there is new growth. This superficial tip burn does no permanent harm to the tree. Olive trees planted in the earth survive overnight temperatures in the high teens but may sustain some damage to small branches, especially if low temperatures are accompanied by wind or frost.
If overnight temperature falls to 15 degrees, even for an hour or two, olive trees can sustain serious damage, and lower than 15 degrees is life threatening. Claims that olive trees can survive 5 degrees F are simply not accurate. While there are isolated accounts of olive trees surviving single digit temperatures, these were old trees of low vigor growing in sheltered locations and "survival" does not address the condition of the surviving tree. Usually, olive trees that have experienced 15 degrees F make little or no fruit the next year and trees that have suffered 13 degrees lose all their leaves and many large branches; those exposed to wind at the same time may be killed. Trees that survive 13 degrees often have dead areas of the main trunk on the windward side.
While the susceptibility of olive trees to low temperatures generally precludes commercial olive farming in areas colder the USDA Hardiness Zone 9a, the home gardener or hobby grower can successfully grow olives in colder areas with careful siting of the trees and a strategy for winter protection. Olive Tree Growers, Inc. has a customer in Atlanta whose large trees survived 10 Degrees with careful covering and made fruit the following spring. We have even heard many accounts of olives being grown in Chicago but the winter protection strategy is quite extreme: the trees are uprooted and buried in a trench for the duration of winter, then resurrected in spring. That is really wanting an olive tree, but then they really are that special.
In areas where winter lows fall below ten degrees, the home gardener can easily grow olive trees with a well-considered and implemented protection strategy. Remember that low temperature, duration of cold, and frost are all relevant factors. The lower the low temperatures, the longer the duration of cold, the stronger the wind, the more protection will be needed.
The siting of the tree is also important. Olive trees in cold winter areas should be planted in the lee of the coldest winds. Heavily wooded areas to the north are good. Small-stature cultivars such as Arbequina can be planted on the south side of a house for wind protection. Paved areas near the tree help retain some heat. Large bodies of water also provide some protection, especially if they are deep.
Covering of trees should never be done with plastic sheeting. This does little or nothing to stop the transfer of cold and, if left on until the sun is high and warm, can cook the tree.
Implementation of the following guidelines will help with the overwintering of olives in cold areas.
IN-GROUND TREES (For temperatures 10-20 degrees overnight):
*Site tree in most protected area available (see above).
*Have a cold-protection strategy and materials ready. The best material for wrapping trees is "frost fabric", unwoven cotton sheeting, used by professional nurserymen and often sold by garden centers. Old sheets and bedspreads also work, but sure you have enough to cover them thoroughly.
*Wrap the trunk from the lowest branches to the ground. Allow the covering to reach the ground and spread around the trunk for 2 to 3 feet.
*Cover the tree from top to bottom with a big sheet of fabric. Use a double layer if temperature is expected to fall below 17 degrees or if very heavy frost is expected. NEVER USE PLASTIC SHEETING.
*Leave covering in place as long as dangerously low temperatures continue but remove it as soon as possible. For areas with extended periods of sub-20 degree weather, olive trees will need to be grown in pots.
CONTAINER-GROWN TREES
*Leave container-grown olive trees outside in a sunny location until temperatures fall below freezing.
*Remember that trees in pots will be more vulnerable to cold than trees in the ground.
* When sub-freezing temperatures are expected, bring potted olive trees indoors to a cool, well-lighted place. A room with a south-facing windows and a temperature of 40-50 degrees is ideal.
*Move it in and out. When temperatures are above 40 degrees, move your tree outside to a sunny location during the day. Move it back inside if freezing is expected overnight.
*Water. Remember that your tree will need some water during the winter, too. Keep the soil slightly moist through and through. Check the top of the soil and drain holes to be sure soil is not just damp on the top.

http://www.olivetreegrowers.com/blog.php?view=detail&id=114

All the romance of the Mediterranean... in your own garden – with the Tree of Peace!

30 gallon Arbequina

blog.php?view=detail&id=14