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How to Grow Olive Trees at Home
How to Grow Olive Trees at Home. Cultivating olive trees is one of man’s first civilized undertakings. They are native to the Mediterranean region, Asia and Africa. Olive trees grow up to 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide; they grow and live up to 500 years. These hardy trees even grow when they are pruned all the way back to the ground. If you...
Cultivating olive trees is one of man’s first civilized undertakings. They are native to the Mediterranean region, Asia and Africa. Olive trees grow up to 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide; they grow and live up to 500 years. These hardy trees even grow when they are pruned all the way back to the ground. If you live below USDA hardiness zone 8, plant your olive tree in a container and move it indoors each winter.
Things You'll Need
Container
Soil
Choose a container. Your new pot should be at least 1 to 2 inches wider than your current pot. Be sure that your pot has drainage holes in the bottom.
Fill the first inch of the new pot with gravel to improve drainage from the soil. Add fast-draining potting mix until the pot is half full.
Gently remove the olive tree from its current container. Turn the pot on its side and tap the bottom and sides of the pot. Carefully turn it upside down and let the plant slide out.
Break up the soil around the roots gently. Place the tree in the new pot and spread the roots.
Fill the rest of the pot with fast-draining potting mix until it is 1 inch from the rim of the pot. Pat the dirt down lightly and water thoroughly.
Water the plant thoroughly when the potting soil is dry 1 inch from the surface. Water the tree less in the fall.
Fertilize your olive tree in the spring and summer every two weeks with a houseplant fertilizer. Only fertilize once per month in the fall.
Bring olive trees inside before the first frost in the fall. Place them near a window where they can receive full sun for at least six hours. Keep the olive trees away from heating vents and radiators and slightly back from the window.
Tips & Warnings
Regular pruning can allow an olive to be kept at 20 feet. Olives prefer full sun. Ensure the soil is well-drained with a pH of 8.5 for the best growth. Consider choosing an olive tree grafted onto dwarf rootstock for container plants.
Do not plant olive trees near sidewalks, because the fruit will stain the concrete when it falls. Olive trees will not bear fruit for four to six years.
