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Olive tree maintenance advice please!

fionabradshaw90w8_oUazffionabradshaw90w8_oUazf Posts: 1
in Problem solving
Hi fellow gardeners!

I inherited this olive tree from my Grandma a couple of years ago, and I've pretty much left it to its own devices since then. 

I have now given it a bigger pot, but I have no idea how I should try and prune it. It has a very short trunk and then a mass of leaning, tangled stems. Should I stake it to straighten it up?!

Any hints or tips on how to look after it would be much appreciated, as its a sentimental tree and I would be gutted if I killed it! 

Thank you for reading :smile:
Fiona  




Posts

  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    It's leaning because it was probably kept up against a wall or another plant and the plant was trying to reach the sun. Olive trees need a lot of sun, so ensure it is placed somewhere with a southerly aspect. They can also take well to pruning over the late spring period. By pruning back you can create a more even shape.

    Ensure the pot has enough drainage holes and soil is free draining and made up of a soil-based compost. John Innes No 2 or 3 with added grit will be ideal. Finally, trees/shrubs grown in pots need watering well. Be generous and water well. At least once a week minimum in the summer months.
  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    Good morning Fiona.  @fionabradshaw90w8_oUazf  

    I hate to say this but you need to prune an olive tree so that the branches are like open arms and there is little growth in the middle - so that branch growing up from the middle should be lopped.  The other branches don't need trimming unless you wish to shape the tree.  You can have round, rectangular (here is a photo of mine), little bunches of growth on each branch etc.  Otherwise it's fine as it is for a couple of years.  Then you could snip the growth on the extremities to encourage growth on lower branches.  Olive trees like space  (it's a beautiful pot but can it go in the ground?)and in the beginning lots of water.

    Let us know how you get on.
    Have a god day.
    Tui
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

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