Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: mumofstig on September 19, 2021, 19:06
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My son bought me one, and it is in a very small pot atm.
Has anybody else succeeded with an olive tree in the uk? Have any advice for me?
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I have one that has lived outside in a container for years. It was a bargain from Homebase, so was also in a pretty tiny pot when I got it.
Mine has a mainly John Innes compost, with some multi-purpose added in just to make it a bit lighter. The base of the pot has a decent layer of grit in it to ensure good drainage. When it was smaller, I used to lunk it into the greenhouse to overwinter, but it has been too big for that for a few years now. I move it into a spot where it is sheltered from the worst of the winter winds and that seems to do it.
It gets top dressed each year, usually around February. I scrape off the top layer of grit and as much soil as I can, add more JI, a scattering of fertiliser and I replace the grit. Over the summer it gets a weekly feed of whatever everything else is getting. I prune it fairly hard each summer once the main spurt of growth has slowed down, but in time for the cut ends of branches to harden off before winter.
That’s about it really :) Cold doesn’t bother them too much, so long as they are not waterlogged. Cold winds can burn foliage. Over the summer they need a lot of water. Over winter not much, but the canopy acts as an umbrella, so it might need some watering.
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Thanks, I'll do my best to keep it alive :lol: :lol:
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I have one that has lived outside in a container for years. It was a bargain from Homebase, so was also in a pretty tiny pot when I got it.
Mine has a mainly John Innes compost, with some multi-purpose added in just to make it a bit lighter. The base of the pot has a decent layer of grit in it to ensure good drainage. When it was smaller, I used to lunk it into the greenhouse to overwinter, but it has been too big for that for a few years now. I move it into a spot where it is sheltered from the worst of the winter winds and that seems to do it.
It gets top dressed each year, usually around February. I scrape off the top layer of grit and as much soil as I can, add more JI, a scattering of fertiliser and I replace the grit. Over the summer it gets a weekly feed of whatever everything else is getting. I prune it fairly hard each summer once the main spurt of growth has slowed down, but in time for the cut ends of branches to harden off before winter.
That’s about it really :) Cold doesn’t bother them too much, so long as they are not waterlogged. Cold winds can burn foliage. Over the summer they need a lot of water. Over winter not much, but the canopy acts as an umbrella, so it might need some watering.
I do mostly the same, but could do with feeding mine & it now needs repotting. I do get flowers & I've had the occasional olive but never got to eat them!lol
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I had one in a container,. Eventually I planted it in the ground. It is about 20ft tall and the same across. I keep having to pay a man to reduce it. His advice has always been, don't touch an Olive until spring.. . I have now got another one in a container to keep it small. Hopefully I will get some Olives now :D Good Luck, Mrs Bouquet
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Hopefully I will get some Olives now :D
Mine flowers every year and gets green fruit. If we have a good spring and a long summer they form early and even get ripe and turn black before autumn hits, but they are tiny and incredibly bitter. I have not bothered to try and brine them as I don’t think they would be edible even then, but they give a look and feel to the garden. You can sit next to the tree with a glass of wine and pretend you are on holiday :lol:
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I have two in pots. The seem fairly indestructible.
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I have two in pots. The seem fairly indestructible.
I'll probably be testing that :D as I don't seem to have a regular watering regime :blush:
Note to self - must do better!!!