Steps to grow olives How to grow olives

Olives are a common cash crop, and people often grow olives in their own gardens. Although olive trees, like many other plants, can live for thousands of years, certain conditions need to be created to grow olive trees. How to grow olives from seedlings to adults? How to use various techniques like an experienced farmer to make your olive trees produce delicious fruits? This article will reveal them one by one for you.

Steps to grow olives, this manual DIY tutorial includes: selecting a planting area, selecting cultivars, planting olives, and cultivating them to maturity. If you want to learn how to grow olives, watch the production Learn the steps of growing olives in this article!

Select planting area

1. 1First of all, you must determine whether the climate where you live is suitable for growing olives. Generally speaking, crops are suitable for growing in such a climate: warm winters and hot, dry, long summers. Areas suitable for growing olives include the Mediterranean region of Europe and the coastal valleys of California. It is difficult to grow olives in the tropics.
   • Olives rarely survive frost if not protected. When the temperature falls below minus 5 degrees Celsius, the small branches of the olive tree will begin to be damaged. When the temperature falls below minus 9 degrees Celsius, larger branches and even the entire tree will be damaged. Moreover, even if an olive tree survives a frost, the fruit and the oil it produces will be greatly compromised in taste.
   • However, olive trees also need cooler days to grow. When olive trees bloom, the temperature must be below 7 degrees, but this temperature is not absolute and depends on the variety of olive trees. This is why growing olives in the tropics is so difficult.
   • Ensure a mild and dry climate during the flowering period. The optimal climate for the olive flowering period (April to June) should be dry and mild, not too hot. Olives are wind-pollinated plants, so too wet weather can prevent olive trees from bearing fruit.
2. 2The planting area must have a good drainage system. Poor drainage is one of the most common causes of olive tree death. When looking for suitable planting sites, be sure to avoid those with poor water flow. Olives don’t like moisture, and a great way to solve drainage problems is to plant them on a gentler slope.
3. 3Do not choose very fertile land. Exceptionally fertile soil is a bit too much for olive trees. In fact, olives grown in relatively fertile soil taste the best.
   • The most ideal planting conditions include: fine soil (such as loam), smooth drainage, and ventilation of the root system. Olives can also be grown in soft soil such as sand.
   • If the soil is nutrient deficient, 18-45 kilograms of nitrogen fertilizer can be applied per acre (about 4 square meters per acre) every year. In addition, you can also plant some fertile crops next to the olives, such as beans; or add some compost.
4. 4Pay attention to the pH of the soil. It is best for the soil to be slightly acidic or neutral, with a pH value between 5 and 8.5. Many farmers believe that 6.5 is the optimal value.

Selected cultivars

1. 1First of all, you need to decide whether you want to grow olives for oil extraction or edible olives, or you want to extract oil both Want to eat it again.Although all varieties of olives can be pressed for oil, some varieties, such as Izmir Sofralik, are specifically used for oil extraction; while some varieties, such as Mission Olives (Mission) are mainly used for food. If you grow olives for food, you need to water them frequently, and if you grow olives for oil, you need to water them less.
2. 2Secondly, you need to know whether the variety you choose is self-pollinating. Self-pollination means that the olive plant does not need plants of other varieties to pollinate it. Self-sterile plants require nearby plants to pollinate them.
   • The Arbequina olive is a self-pollinating plant, which means that it does not require other plants to pollinate it. The fruits of Albequina olives are only as big as grapes, and the bunches are very dense. The oil produced from olives of this variety is of high quality, but does not age well.
   • Arbosana olives are autofertile plants. This olive needs to be planted with any of the following varieties of olives to produce fruit: Maurino, Coratina, Pendolino, Frantoio , Leccino olives and Olivastra olives.

Growing olives

1. 1Grow olives in a flower pot. Small varieties are more suitable for planting in flower pots. If you decide to plant in a pot, choose a larger pot, at least 60cm deep and 60cm wide.
   • Make sure drainage is clear. Remember, wetThe soil is a natural enemy of olives. The selected soil can be sandy soil or loam, and irrigation should be moderate. Wait until the soil is dry to at least 25 cm below before watering again.
   • Potted olives require more care and require more pruning than olives grown in the ground. Potted olives require frequent pruning. Many farmers agree that olives should not have too many branches. Generally, only three or four main branches are enough.
2. 2If you decide to plant in the ground, pour 70-85 liters of nitrogen fertilizer or decomposed animal manure on each planting point. The fertilizing area of ??each piece is approximately 22 cm * 22 cm. If the area is too large, there is a risk of repeated fertilization.
3. 3Spread lime to increase soil pH. If the soil pH is below 6.5, then you can sprinkle some lime to make the soil more alkaline. If you want to accurately measure the pH value so that the acidity and alkalinity of the soil are equal in all parts, you can contact the local agricultural department or fertilizer dealer.
4. 4Loosen the soil in a 3-meter-wide area next to each row of plants. The depth of the soil should be at least 0.6 meters. Loose soil helps drainage and ventilation, which can promote the growth of olives.
   • The process of loosening the soil also mixes the fertilizer, lime and other trace minerals in the soil evenly. Fertilizer and lime accumulated on the surface will not work, so it is best to loosen the soil and turn it under the soil.
   • After loosening the soil, you can use a grader or rotary hoe to level the soil, but this step can also be omitted.
5. 5Transplant the potted olives to a sunny location outdoors. Note that the height of the ground should be similar to the height of the flowerpot. It is best to transplant in April and May because there are few frosts during this season.
   • Dig a hole about the same size as the opening of the flowerpot.
   • Remove the olive plant from the pot and inspect the roots. Cut off any tangled roots, but be careful not to damage the bulb.
   • Plant the plant into the hole and fill the hole with the soil you just dug out and the surrounding soil.
6. 6Water and cover with straw. Using straw mulch has the following benefits: straw can retain moisture, keep the soil cool and prevent weeds from growing. You should buy straw that has been beaten in the rain and tied into bundles. It is cheap and has a good mulching effect.
   • In addition to straw, the stems and leaves of alfalfa, soybeans, peas, etc. are used for root mulch. These plants are high in nitrogen and are also rich in many nutrients needed by olives.
   • When covering with straw, do not cover within a radius of 10-15 cm from the root of the plant, allowing the roots to have enough space to breathe.

Cultivation to maturity

1. 1Water less. In California, watering once a month is usually enough. Long-term soaking of roots in water will cause damage to the plant and affect the taste of the fruit.
   • Remember, the amount of watering depends on whether you use it for food or for oil extraction. If it is for food, water it more often, once a week or every two or three weeks. If it is used for oil extraction, water less, so that the oil extracted will have a stronger flavor.
2. 2Learn the correct pruning method. The end of winter and the beginning of the flowering period is a good time to prune. Although not all varieties of olives require pruning, scientific pruning can help the plant grow in a balanced manner and produce delicious fruits. Pruning off excess branches and fine roots can control the height of the olive tree, making it easier to pick the fruit, while also ensuring that the fruit bears evenly.
   • Pay attention to the following points when pruning:
     
     • "Less is more", don't prune for the sake of pruning.
     • Seedlings do not need to be pruned as frequently as adult seedlings.
     • Pruning should be done from top to bottom.
     • Prune the big branches first, then the small ones.
     • Pruning is not only for beauty, but also for the healthy growth of the olive tree.
     • If you can't prune the branches this year, save them for pruning next year.
3. 3Understand the conditions of the results. The olive trees planted this year will not bear fruit until next year. Olive fruits will only be produced on the branches that grew the previous year. If you prune too many new branches, the olive tree may not be able to bear fruit. The fruit is gone.
4. 4Beware of pests and diseases. Like most plants, olive trees are subject to attack by pests and diseases, especially black scale insects and hard scale insects. As a grower, you have to sprayUse pesticides to prevent insect pests, but also pay attention to the appropriate use of pesticides to ensure the natural purity of the olives.
   • As the name suggests, black scale insects are small and have a black outer shell. Black scale insects originate from Africa and can lay more than 2,000 eggs each time. Although black scale insects often attack diseased olive trees, healthy olive trees can also become infected. Once you find black scale insects on your olives, be sure to spray them with an appropriate insecticide immediately.
   • Olives may also suffer from Verticillium wilt, causing leaves to fall off and branches to shrink. Although some varieties of olives have their own immunity, there is currently no treatment for fungal diseases such as Verticillium wilt. Once a branch shrinks, it must be pruned immediately, otherwise the shrinkage will spread to other parts. If you find that olives in a field have verticillium wilt, do not plant any more olives in that field.
5. 5You have to know that it takes several years for olives to bear fruit after they are planted. Olive trees with sufficient water will bear fruit within two or three years, while olive trees with less water will bear fruit more slowly. Although some varieties of olives will generally bear fruit within two or three years as long as they are cared for properly, there are also many varieties that will take 10 years to bear fruit, and such varieties may even have to wait 20-30 years if they are irrigated less.
6. 6Clear the harvest time. Olive fruits are green at first and turn black when ripe. Olives picked when they are still green have a pungent and astringent taste, more like herbal medicine.The olives picked after they have darkened in color will have a milder taste and a softer texture. Many olive oils are pressed from near-ripe olives, which are olives that are between green and black in color.

Tips

• It is also possible to plant olives on slopes, but this may cause some trouble in picking and daily care.
• Olive trees can also be grown indoors in pots.
• To prevent olives from concentrating fruiting in the same place, prune olive trees in early summer when they are blooming.
• Olive trees can grow up to 15 meters tall, with a tree cover up to 9 meters in diameter.

Warning

• Ripe olives are easily crushed, so be careful when picking.
• Olive trees in California are susceptible to Verticillium wilt. To prevent Verticillium wilt, it is necessary to prune dry branches in time and avoid planting olive trees in soil infected by Verticillium wilt.
• Olives in the Mediterranean area are susceptible to damage by Mediterranean fruit fly and olive fruit fly.
• Ensure the hygiene of pruning tools, and try to prune during the rainy season. Pruning tools may carry olive knot fungus, which can be spread to other plants through pruning tools.
• Do not add growth hormone to the olives used for oil extraction, otherwise the extracted oil will have a chemical smell.

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