How to Take Care of Your Olive Trees

Here in the month of October you can see olive pickers wherever somebody thought to plant an olive tree. It that time of the year when it is finally time that the olives are ready for harvesting.

Some trees will be covered with olives while others hardly produce enough olives to use in a Greek salad. Olive trees are just like any other fruit trees, they need to be cared for in the right wat if you want them to produce a decent harvest.

Olive trees like a climate that is hot in the summer and cool or cold during the winter. The trees are evergreen, but still "rest" during the cool winter months. New trees should therefor not be planted in the winter. Neither should older trees be pruned during the winter time.

The trees are quite hardy and are found growing in areas that have high temperatures in the summer and cold winters. Mature olives have an inbuilt mechanism which shuts down their system temporarily during the hot summer afternoons until the temperature cools down.

They can even survive a cold snap if the trees are not too young and provided that the daytime temperature heats up again.In areas with low winter temperatures the trees can be covered with horticultural fleece around the crown and the trunk of the tree.

Olive trees do however not grow well in humid temperatures. As they have a shallow root system it is also not adviseable to plant them in very windy areas. The trees do not like to have their roots in a soil that does not drain properly either.

Any other type of soil is fine for the olive trees. They are often found in rocky soil that is not suitable for other kinds of trees. They will however grow better in soil that is more alkaline than acidic. The trees can also be grown successfully for long perods in pots or containers as long as their roots are not soaked in standing water.

If you want your olive trees to bear fruit, you are going to have to water it regularly but remember that the olive's worst enemy is too much water. Watch the moisture in the soil around the trees. Trees growing in lower rainfall areas should be watered more often. If you water the trees during the winter it will help to ensure a good spring flowering and a lot of fruit. Then additional watering is needed for a good size olive as well a higher yield of olive oil.

Another important aspect of looking after your olive trees, is to prune it at least once a year. Some experts advice a light formative pruning in the spring followed by a heavier trim in the early or even middle part of summer.

Pruning will help your tree to become strong as allow the sunlight to reach the fruit bearing branches on both sides of the tree. No pruning should be done during the winter time so as not to disturb the tree during its dormant time.

Taking your of your olive tree will not only reward you with olives to harvest. It is a handsome tree with its silvery green leaves and it is also evergreen. The olive tree grows nearly everywhere and can withstand storms, heat, cold and even salt water. Any property will only benefit with the presesence of an olive tree or two.