Caring for an Olive Tree: How to do it Right

Olive trees are generally quite robust and create a Mediterranean flair. We explain what you should consider when planting and caring for an olive tree in order to enjoy it for a long time.

Olive tree care: rearing and location

In order to be able to adapt the care of the olive trees to the Mediterranean climate of their origin, it is generally recommended to cultivate the trees in buckets. In this way, they can be brought to their wintering place quickly and easily in winter.

• The optimal location for an olive tree is full sun, warm, and not draughty. When choosing a location in the garden or on the balcony, keep in mind that the tree will grow significantly larger and you should therefore plan enough space.
• When choosing the bucket, make sure that it has drainage holes. A drainage layer of soil and stones, such as gravel or crushed stone, should be placed in the lower third of the pot. The root ball is now placed on the drainage layer. The rest of the pot is filled with a loose mixture of soil and sand.
• The mixture of sand and earth is very easy to make yourself. For this purpose, normal potting soil, coconut fibers, and 10 to 20 percent quartz sand can be mixed. This soil mixture can also be used for the drainage layer.
• Repotting the olive tree every two to three years is sufficient. Basically, the trees should not be repotted too often. Exceptions are, for example, if the tree is doing badly due to soil that has become too moist.
• In winter, the olive tree can be left outside in very mild areas. However, it should then be near the house, ideally against a wall or close to thick bushes, and ideally also be covered from above to protect it from moisture.
• In less mild areas with a high probability of severe frost, it is advisable to hibernate in cool and bright indoor rooms, for example in cold conservatories or in unheated adjoining rooms. If the wintering place is cool enough, with temperatures around five to ten degrees, the olive tree can go into hibernation during which it can cope with less light.

More care tips

In addition to the right rearing and a good location in summer and winter, there are other aspects to consider when caring for olive trees.

• You only have to water the olive tree occasionally, the substrate is allowed to dry out on the surface. Be sure to avoid waterlogging. The best time to water is in the morning. In winter, the water requirement of an olive tree is greatly reduced.
• The olive tree should be fertilized on average every two weeks. Simply add a mineral fertilizer to the irrigation water. After repotting, you can do without fertilizing for about two months.
• You should also be cautious when cutting the olive tree. The so-called maintenance cut can be done all year round, with dead branches and twigs being removed. The training pruning takes place in winter and serves to keep the crown in shape by removing shoots that are too long.
• Common problems with olive trees are leaf loss and yellowing of the leaves. Loss of leaves can indicate too little light or too much moisture, and yellowing of the leaves can also indicate too much moisture.
• In any case, it is important to eliminate the cause of the problems as quickly as possible, for example by repotting or a change of location.