How to grow Olive

Where to plant

Olives need full sun and very well-drained soil. They grow in almost any well-drained soil up to pH 8.5 and tolerate mild salinity, but they are prone to root rot in moist or wet soil, so avoid low spots where water stands after rain. Sandy soils suit them best in Florida.

Olives need some winter cold to flower, generally about 200 to 300 chill hours, and a long, hot summer. They can be grown where winter temperatures stay above about 12°F, though green fruit is damaged at about 28°F. Heavy rain and humidity during flowering reduce fruit set.

• California and the Desert Southwest: classic olive country. Plant container trees in spring after frost, or in fall in mild areas.
• North Florida and the Gulf South: marginal; olives need excellent drainage and struggle in wet, humid summers. Choose a variety tested in the Southeast such as 'Arbequina'.
• Texas: marginal; choose cold-hardy varieties such as 'Arbequina' and protect trees when temperatures drop below about 15°F.
• The Pacific Northwest: marginal; short dips to about 25°F are survivable but long freezes and wet winter soil injure trees. Use a variety grown in Oregon and the warmest, best-drained spot.
• Central and South Florida do not get enough winter chill for most olives.

Choosing a variety

'Arbequina' is the variety most often suggested for the Southeast, Texas and Oregon. Many olives are partly or fully self-incompatible: UF/IFAS notes that 'Manzanillo', 'Picual' and 'Arbequina' are self-incompatible, and some pairs such as 'Mission' with 'Manzanillo' do not pollinate each other. If you want fruit, plant at least two distinctly different, compatible varieties close together.

How to plant

1. Plant a container-grown tree in spring after the last frost, in full sun, in the best-drained spot you have. On heavy soil, plant on a raised mound.
2. Water in well, then water regularly the first year while roots establish.
3. Plant a second, compatible variety nearby for pollination.

Watering and feeding

Established olives survive long dry spells and need deep but infrequent watering. Too much water, whether from irrigation or a wet climate, encourages root rot and can make flowers drop.

Feed lightly. Olives need few nutrients and do not crop well on very fertile soil. Too much nitrogen gives lots of shoots and few fruit, and lowers oil quality.

Pruning and care through the year

• Olives flower on the previous season's growth and never fruit twice in the same place, so prune lightly each year to keep new shoots coming. Pruning also opens the canopy to air, which reduces disease.
• Olives tend to bear heavily every other year. For bigger fruit, thin to two or three fruit per foot of twig soon after fruit set.
• In California, olive has escaped into grasslands and shrublands, and the California Invasive Plant Council rates it a limited invasive. Avoid planting near open space, or choose a fruitless variety.

Harvesting

Olives turn from green to blackish purple as they ripen, though some varieties stay green or turn copper brown. Pick green for green olives or ripe for black olives. Fresh olives are extremely bitter and must be cured in brine or lye before eating.