Olive tree help

Ryandtracy · February 2020

Hi everyone

We've been looking for an olive tree for quite some time and have stumbled upon one at a local garden centre. It's on offer because the leaves started falling off in December. It was in an exposed position, quite windy too. We're tempted to go ahead and get it, our garden is sheltered and south facing, but don't know enough about olive trees to make an informed decision. Are there any gardeners out there that can offer and opinion and advice? I've added a couple photos.
Thanks in advance!

Obelixx · February 2020

First of all check where it has come from, how long it has been in the GC and if it has been quarantined. There is a nasty new disease that has arrived from South America in the last few years and is wiping out olive groves in Spain and Italy. They can be expensive so you need to be sure before you part with your cash.

Have a read of this info on care - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=138

BenCotto · February 2020

Our local olive tree nursery has good advice on its website. Look at their blog posts too.

https://www.olivegroveoundle.co.uk/advice-faqs/

dappledshade · February 2020

Definitely check what Obelixx has said.
If it’s healthy though, consider that olives will naturally shed some leaves over winter.
My two do so, every year.
Also, they are susceptible to the odd bout of superficial fungus. Particularly if the weather has been very wet and temperatures are starting to rise, so early spring.
When that happened to my olive years ago(it was still in a pot back then), I laboriously picked off every affected leaf, then cleared all the fallen leaves too from the pot, to minimise spores spreading in the soil.
Gave it a good spray with general fungicide and within a couple of weeks, new leaves had sprouted all over.

Olive tree help

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