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Hole in Olive Tree

gardeners26gardeners26 Posts: 8
in Problem solving

I have an old gnarled Olive tree with a hole close to the base of the trunk, approx 2” diameter x 3”deep. Inside the hole feels solid with no decay. It’s been in the ground for 9 years and in full health.
Should I leave well alone or fill the hole and with what?

Thanks
Roy


Roy

(Not so proud holder and custodian of the national collection of weeds.)


hole.jpg 140.4K

Posts

  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    If it isn't affecting the tree , I'd leave well alone but others with experience of Olive trees may have further advice :)
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I agree.
    If you see them in places like Greece they often look very gnarly with lumps, bumps and holes all over the place.
    It's normal for the naturally dead wood in the middle of the trunk to rot and sometimes it rots all the way through. It's quite natural and adds to their gnarly charm.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    If it ain't broke, don't fix it😊
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Agreed with all th above, filling a natural hole in a trunk is just inviting problems...it's not the time to grab the polyfilla 😉
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • micearguersmicearguers Posts: 646
    Filling it will just invite potential nastiness. Trees have evolved to cope with stuff such as holes, they haven't evolved to cope with being bricked up.
  • gardeners26gardeners26 Posts: 8
    Thanks folks - I'll leave well alone!

    Roy

    (Not so proud holder and custodian of the national collection of weeds.)


  • micearguersmicearguers Posts: 646
    I had a small hole in a snakebark maple last year. It turned out to be some sort of beetle excavating under the bark. In this case I cut it further open and found a big patch of rot. This I cut out further and I found what seemed to be eggs. So far this seems to have put a stop to things. So an exception could be made for some particular cases of pest or rot, however, if it is fungal or bacterial I'd be worried about exposing healthy tissue and accelerating the problem (and ask an expert, as I have no intuition one way or another besides this worry). Anyway, yours does not feel decayed inside, so even better.
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