How to Create Your Own Olives Garden in Your Backyard

As a Mediterranean tree, olives have a beautiful appearance with its evergreen and pale color leaves. The best thing, there are now a few cultivars which can grow in cooler temperatures. If you are interested in having your own olives garden then you need to learn how to grow your own olives.

How to Create Your Own Olives Garden in Your Backyard

1. Choose the right spot

   First you need to choose the right sport for your olive tree to grow. This plant needs to be placed in a dry and hot place which is similar to their natural habitat. So, you need to choose a spot that gets enough sunlight and protection. Choose a spot that is south facing and projected by a wall behind.

2. Plant your tree

   Once you have found the right spot now it is time to plant the tree. You can start your olives garden any time as long as the soil is not frozen. You can start by digging a hole then adding mycorrhizal fungi which will help it to adapt to the spot quicker. When the soil is heavy then you need to make sure it has enough grit as drainage. You can also grow the olives in a raised bed or container. Use grit and compost mix as the soil then add a few nutrients and organic matters in it.

3. Using pots

   If you want, you can actually use pots since it has better drainage and you can move them inside your house during winter. Try to use terracotta pots which have better airflow than plastic pots which allows the soil to dry. For the tree itself, you need to choose a compact variety which has a more suitable size for pots. Add compost that is peat-free and put some horticultural grit which helps with drainage.

4. Take care of the tree

   You need to add liquid feed once every 2 weeks during the growing season. You also need to water them regularly especially in early spring which tends to be very dry. In winter you need to add winter mulch and horticultural fleece to protect them. If you have a pot olives garden then watering is still needed since they cannot search for nutrients and water. You need to add liquid feed every 2 weeks but do not put too much water into the pot since it can weaken and destroy the leaves. In winter you need to move the pots indoors with a more controlled temperature. Or you can also wrap the pot with bubble wrap and cover it with horticultural fleece.

5. Harvesting

   Usually the tree will need at least 4 years to mature and bear fruits. Then you can harvest it later in late autumn. But you should know that the tree might not ever have fruits.

Those are a few things that you need to do when you want to create your own olives garden. Olive is very slow to grow, so it is better to buy the tree instead of planting it from seeds. Remember to protect them during the winter since cold weather will affect their condition.