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Potted olive trees and wet weather

the_atomic_crowthe_atomic_crow Posts: 3
in Plants
Hi everyone! I'm fairly new to gardening and keen to do everything I can to help my potted olive tree with the huge amount of rain we're having at the moment. I know olive trees don't like soggy soil and although I have enough drainage in the large planter it's in, I'm concerned about the soil constantly being wet. I've wrapped a piece of tarpaulin around the top of the container so it covers the soil to stop the rain getting in. Obviously I'll remove this when the storms pass but I wanted to see what, if anything, everyone else does to protect olive trees during wet weather? Thanks so much 😊 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I've had one in a big pot on my patio for about 20 years.
    I used a good amount of grit when I planted it so it drains quite freely.
    Most importantly I have raised the pot about 1" from the patio to ensure that in heavy rain the excess water can still escape.
    If it wasn't raised, the drainage hole(s) would block with silt and prevent drainage.
    Pot feet look nice, but I'm a cheapskate so I just used 4 small offcuts of wood to raise it off the ground.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • the_atomic_crowthe_atomic_crow Posts: 3
    Pete.8 said:
    I've had one in a big pot on my patio for about 20 years.
    I used a good amount of grit when I planted it so it drains quite freely.
    Most importantly I have raised the pot about 1" from the patio to ensure that in heavy rain the excess water can still escape.
    If it wasn't raised, the drainage hole(s) would block with silt and prevent drainage.
    Pot feet look nice, but I'm a cheapskate so I just used 4 small offcuts of wood to raise it off the ground.
    Thanks so much for your reply and advice. It's raised off the ground and potted with plenty of grit and perlite. Glad to hear yours has done well like this - fingers crossed I've got plenty of years with mine too!
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I second the pot feet, cheapskate or otherwise! So long as water drains freely from the bottom it should be fine. Depending on how cold and exposed it is in your location, placing the pot in the warmest, most sheltered location over winter is a good idea, against a south-facing wall is ideal.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • the_atomic_crowthe_atomic_crow Posts: 3
    Nollie said:
    I second the pot feet, cheapskate or otherwise! So long as water drains freely from the bottom it should be fine. Depending on how cold and exposed it is in your location, placing the pot in the warmest, most sheltered location over winter is a good idea, against a south-facing wall is ideal.
    Thanks for replying- it's against the house wall which is south/south westerly so that's a stroke of luck! It's a courtyard garden so plenty of walls and buildings to stop the wind getting too fresh!
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