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Pruned too hard. What to do

susananwmssusananwms Posts: 213
in Problem solving
I have made a total mess of my olive tree by pruning the wrong branches. Through ignorance and getting carried away I have scalped it. Should I cut right back to a better shape and hope for the best or just leave it till next year. I really want to try and save it.  I have made loads of mistakes but I think this is the worst. All advice welcome

Posts

  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    Susananwms
    It depends on what you had in mind before beginning to cut your olive. What were you trying to achieve?
    Left alone, your tree will shoot in some places, below where you have cut but it will take several years for the new shoots to develop into branches again.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I don't think that's too bad at all ... I'd probably open up the centre a bit by removing some of the larger branches ... there's a fairly recent thread on pruning olives which shows it really well ... I'll have a hunt for it ... 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Agree with @Dovefromabove, I don't think that looks too bad. I would be wary of taking off too much more this year, but agree that removing a large central branch, would open the tree up.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I can't find that thread ... it had a really good photo of a well pruned olive tree ... can anyone remember who posted it? 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Aha!  I think it was @tui34 .... this is a photo of their olive from an earlier thread ... 

    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1050640/olive-tree-maintenance-advice-please 

    Hopefully @tui34 will see this and pop in ... 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • susananwmssusananwms Posts: 213
    Thanks all for your answers, you have made me feel a lot better about it.  I think what I was after was a nice shape but something I could see through so it did not block off rest of garden.  I will take your advice and cut just maybe one more branch from middle to open it up more.  Such a relief to know that I have not permanently damaged it
  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    Hello @susananwms   You can never prune an olive tree too hard.   They always come back, again and again.  I see them down here with no branches on at all - probably having had a disease or something. 

    They like water.  Aqua aqua says the Spanish - until they find their roots.

    You could shave the top off.  Not only to shape it, but to give it some light.

    I agree that a central branch or two could be removed.  @Dovefromabove and @punkdoc


    You can't go wrong whatever you do.

    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Our neighbours have a house in Greece with some 800 year old olives in the garden which are pruned with a chainsaw, as are all the local ones,  so I wouldnt worry.
  • susananwmssusananwms Posts: 213
    Thank you all so much.  I feel so much better now.  Felt like crying earlier, now, just so relieved
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