How to Grow Olive Tree (Zaitoon) and Actually Get Fruit (Video)

Transcript

Can a cool winter really make your olive tree fruit?

Can a cool winter really make your olive tree fruit?

Growing Olives at Home

Learn how to grow an olive tree that actually bears fruit, and stay for the secret check that makes all the difference.

Chill is key

Here's the thing: olive trees need a cool spell, not a frost, to set flower buds. About two months of temperatures hovering between four and ten degrees Celsius give the signal. If winter stays warm, the tree may look lovely but never blossoms, and fruit stays a dream.

Cold spell needed

The research points to roughly two months of that gentle chill, around four to ten degrees Celsius. That's the sweet spot that tells the tree it's time to start forming flower buds. Anything less, and the tree stays in vegetative mode, postponing any chance of olives.

Buy grafted varieties

Now, the part most people miss is what you actually buy. Ask the nursery if the plant is grafted or a cutting and which variety it is. Names like Koroneiki or Arbequina mean you’re getting a true-to-type tree that will fruit sooner. If they can’t name it, you’re probably looking at a seedling, which may take forever and give tiny, wild fruit.

Check graft scar

Before you hand over any cash, do a quick test: gently scratch the bottom fifteen centimeters of the stem with your fingernail. You should see a slight bend or a little knob, that’s the graft scar. It tells you the tree was grafted and not a random seedling, and that’s the biggest factor for getting fruit at home.

Olives in containers

Can olive trees grow in pots? Absolutely, and a pot lets you control drainage and move the tree into the sunniest spot. Aim for a container between forty-five and sixty litres, about sixteen to eighteen inches across, with several drainage holes raised on bricks. Fill it with a mix of sandy loam, coarse sand or brick grit, and a bit of compost. Water well, then let the top five centimetres dry before the next drink, and stake the young tree against wind for its first year.

Year-round care

Olive tree care is simple once you know the rhythm. In late winter, give it a couple of handfuls of compost and a balanced fertilizer, but don’t overdo the nitrogen, that just makes leafy growth. Prune after the coldest weeks, opening the centre for sunlight and removing suckers below the graft. When the heat climbs above thirty degrees, water deeply but let the top few centimetres dry. During the monsoon, watch for waterlogging; good drainage is everything.

When to pick

Harvest time runs from October to December. Pick the olives green if you want firm, table-style fruit, or let them turn purple and finally black for softer olives and oil. Remember, fresh olives are extremely bitter; they need weeks of soaking and brining before they become edible. Store any leftovers in clean jars with the right salt strength, and toss any batch that shows mould or a strange fizz.

The one thing

So what should you do? The single most important step is to check for that graft scar and make sure you’re buying a named, grafted variety. That small detail decides whether you’ll end up with a beautiful ornamental shrub or a tree that actually yields olives. If you can, plant two different varieties together, they’ll pollinate each other and boost your harvest.

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Read the full guide

The full guide is on thecareonline.com. General information only, so check with your doctor for your own case.