Picholine Olive Tree

Olive trees are an excellent choice for both in the ground and in container growing. These highly adaptable trees will tolerate a variety of soil types including poor, rocky soils. Choose a location with at least 8 to 10 hours of sunlight and use a well-draining soil mix to amend your native soil or plant your potted olive tree. If you live in a location with low temperatures lower than 15°F then you will want to grow your olive tree in a container that can be moved to a protected area during the winter.

To plant your Olive tree in the ground, dig a hole deep enough to cover the root ball. We recommend digging a hole in a cone shape and planting the tree to the center of the cone. If your location has heavy clay soil create a mound about 12” above the native soil line with a better draining soil mix of compost and mulch. At the center of the mound, dig a coneshaped hole and plant your tree.

For container growing, you will want to create a soil mix that is 2/3 premium potting soil and 1/3 fine mulch to increase drainage.

When transplanting check for roots collecting at the bottom of the pot. Gently loosen up the roots at the bottom to help them quickly extend into the surrounding soil. Tamp (pack) down soil several times while backfilling the hole to avoid air pockets. After planting, water the tree to settle the soil firmly around the roots. Make a basin for future watering.

The number one reason for olive tree loss in the first 2 years is poor draining soils. Become familiar with how your location drains and amend your soil appropriately where drainage is poor. Olive trees are quite drought tolerant once established but water management in the first 2 years is critical. Good water management includes regular irrigation and mulching to get trees established. Once established olives require little water.

In our California climate, monthly watering for established trees is more than adequate. Olives are incredibly drought resistant and can survive extended dry periods.

Fertilize your olive tree with a balanced fertilizer when you water in the spring being sure to keep them away from the tree trunk. Treat the topsoil with fast or slow release 10-10-10 fertilizer following the application instruction to be sure you don't over-apply and burn your tree. Organic fertilizer options like worm castings, compost, and compost tea also make great food for your tree. Be sure to keep all mulches you may add at least 6" away from the trunk to prevent the development of trunk/stem rot.

Olive trees do not require heavy pruning to produce fruit. It is okay to prune to the desired shape but keep in mind that olives fruit on branches that grew the previous season. Removing that one-year wood will certainly reduce your fruit potential. You may also want to remove crossing branches in the interior of the tree that could be creating a habitat for pests and diseases. Remove spoiled fruit, dead, damaged, or diseased branches. Pinching off terminal buds(buds at the tips of a branch or main stem) will encourage more lateral growth and keep your tree shorter to the ground. The goal here is to keep pruning to a minimum.