Olive Trees In Pots Winter Care
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Potted olive trees prefer light pruning yearly instead of severe pruning every two or three years.
Olive trees in pots winter care. Pruning and caring for a potted olive tree. The olive tree is an evergreen that flourishes in hot dry areas and as such will not do well in wet winter soil. If you cannot bring your olive trees indoors never bring your olive trees indoors in winter. Growing olive trees in pots top dress your potted olive tree every spring with fresh compost.
When plants in containers get to about 1 5m 5ft pinch out the tips to encourage branching. Growing olives for fruit in order to initiate flowers and fruit olive trees need a two month period of cold weather with temperatures below 10 c 50 f. Annual pruning is recommended at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring. Plastic containers retain more water which can be deadly for an olive tree.
Wrap the pots with a thick cover and avoid letting rain fall in. You can still own a fruiting olive tree grown in a container. Olive trees require a well drained soil and a sunny position. Place in a bright windowsill or under artificial lighting.
A sunny balcony and the right climate are the essential things. Avoid sites where water stands during rainy periods or where ground water seeps into a hole two feet deep. John innes no 3 is ideal as it s perfect for mature specimens so good for mature and ancient olive trees. Olive trees thrive in the northeast where they can live outside in containers from spring through early fall but then they must be moved inside.
Come spring the trees are wheeled out to the sunshine again. Do not however confuse the olive for a desert plant. When selecting a container opt for clay or wood. Outside bring them as close as possible to a window so that they may benefit from the warmth of the house.
Plant your tree in a mix of potting soil and perlite or small rocks. Scoop out a good handful of the old soil and top dress with john innes no 3. Olive trees are usually purchased in either 4 inch pots with numerous side branches and a height of 18 24 inches or in a 1 gallon pot with a single trunk and a height of 4 5 feet. In winter they cannot survive outside because of low temperatures in the northeast that range from 10 degrees fahrenheit to minus 25 f.
This phase more or less extends from may to july. Mulch the base of your olive trees to protect them from the cold. After two weeks of cooler temperatures or if the temperatures drop below 22 f bring the olive tree indoors. It needs regular watering to thrive.
Make sure not to overwater. Every two weeks during the growth phase add olive tree fertilizer to the water. To achieve a winter dormancy state olive trees need to be exposed to a couple weeks of nighttime temperatures that drop down to a little below freezing. Olive trees like extremely well draining rocky soil.