The olive is a tough customer - it is tolerant of wind (both hot and cold), soil condition and elevation (O. europea can live at altitudes up to 4900 ft.!) and can live 800 to 1000 years.It is much loved by bonsai enthusiasts as much for its rich historical and mythical lore as it is for its elegant shiny green leaves and trunk which takes on an aged, stony appearance when old.
Lighting: | Full sun in summer, less in winter. Requires 1000 Lux as an indoor plant. |
Temperature: | Leaves can withstand temperatures down to 43F; the roots dislike freezing temperatures, although survival at temperatures down to 25F has been reported. Considered to be hardy in zone 9. The olive can be successfully grown as an indoor plant, but it is best to keep it outdoors in the summer, and should be kept below 64F in winter. To encourage fruiting, the plant should be kept for several weeks with nightly temperatures of 35F and daily temperatures of 60F. |
Watering: | Water thoroughly, but keep slightly dry. Reduce watering in winter. The olive may benefit from daily misting. |
Feeding: | Every two weeks from spring to autumn. Do not fertilize for three months after repotting. Use liquid bonsai fertilizer or half-strength general purpose plant food. It can benefit from an addition of pulverized organic fertilizer in mid-spring. |
Repotting: | Every 2-3 years in spring, as buds sprout. Trim about 1/3 of the root ball, and remove a proportional number of the old leaves. If more drastic root pruning is needed, complete defoliation is advised. Repot in free-draining, slightly calciferous soil. |
Styling: |
Suitable for all sizes, and all styles except broom. Creating
your own jin/shari is not a good idea as the bark cracks easily, leaving
the tree exposed to fungal infestation, although in my experience there is
some natural die-back which may be used in the design of the tree. Marco
talks extensively about styling the olive:
>Pruning: all bad reputation of olive is why,when it is trimmed,some portion of >tree retracts lymph and to first sprout there is an untidy and uncontrollable >growth;time for forming's pruning is fall,when there is waning moon mostly if >branches have diameter superior to 3cm(1 inche);if one trims in spring or >summer there is risk of inflation of this zone;in any case eliminate buds in >this part.the second pruning or structure's pruning is accomplished after spring and fall growth before a new vegetative cycle:eliminate buds who grow up or down so to have alternate ramification to right and left of principal >branches. pinching is different according buds colors and age of tree in cycle >of growth: new buds usually are green,violaceous and color wood;for young trees >one cuts to first or third couple of leaves,according direction of buds,when >branches from violaceous became color wood(it will grow only last couple of >buds). >with less young and aged trees,you pinch when branche is still green >or is almost violaceous eliminating last couple of leaves,and leaves and >buds who row down.stop pinching if temperaure is down 10C(50F) or up 40C(104F): >you will have >smaller leaves and shorter internodes.generally almost all >leaves who are in green part ramify and less of half of those placed in >violaceous part. >Wiring: young trees only from 2-3 yr,but warning from late fall to spring and >it is necessary to control each week branches,olive wood is soft and easily >wire cuts it.in aged trees wire is applied to old branches,but it is good >thing to use raffia during tree dormance.It is best to wire olive branches when just freshly lignified, as olive wood becomes very rigid when old. |
Propagation: | Propagation by seed has only a 30% success rate. Cuttings are more successul, and quite large diameter cuttings (up to 2.5 inches) may be rooted. It is easiest to root cuttings first in a glass of water. The olive also suckers, and may be propagated by division. |
Pests etc.: | aphids, ants, black mold, scale |
================================================================= X-Sender: favero@inrete.it Date: Sun, 13 Oct 1996 22:19:53 +0100 At 03.06 12/10/96 GMT,Gregg Weinstein (molar@worldnet.att.net) you wrote: >Just aquired a European indoor olive. How dry should I allow it's soil to >get before watering. PLease help. > >Gregg and Jim Lewis(jklewis@ix.netcom.com)replys: olives,which are not really indoor plants,can be allowed to dry out almost completely between waterings.i've never tried to grow an olive indoors,but know they seem to do fine outdoors here(except that it's too wet in this neighborhood for them to be completely happy). Hi Gregg and Jim, i can give you some further information about Olive:as Jim says,Olea europea sativa or olea europea oleaster are outdoor trees.name olea derives from greek Elaila;olive is here in europe from terziary period and Phoenicians have been the first farmers of this tree.in Bible Noah after the Deluge seen a dove with a branch of olive in mouth like symbol of peace between God and men;olive is present in many books of Hebrews,Phoenicians,Egyptians,Greeks and Romans.Pliny the elder in his Natural history(Naturalis historia-37 volumes-died in 79 A.D. for to approach too much to Vesuvius eruption to Pompeii)distinguished 15 variety of olive.in Bible judges book(9,8-9)one read as olive became king: trees set out for to consecrate one tree their king,and they said to Olive: you are our king;and Olive answered theirs:Can i renounce my oil,thanks to which many honors are devoted to God and to men,for to wander above trees? Olive is situated in mediterranean climate,in italy to centre and south but also in great lakes of prealps;acid and basic soils aren't problems for it,because it can tolerate hot and dry weather as also hot and cold winds.it grows slowly, but strong;to whathever age it can re-sprout from trunk however much you trim or burn it.Olea europea can live in propitius conditions even to 1500 mt.(4,926 feet about).there is some specimen in Algerian Sahara;in hoggar mountain there is Olea Laperrini at 2500 mt.(8,107 feet) as magnificent sample of adaptation to environment. now for bonsai advices:the weak point of olive is stump,because it gives out much fine roots and it don't tolerate protacted frosts.leaves bear temperatures between 6 or 8C(43 or 46F),in colder zones it is better to cover soil with manure or many leaves or put in garage. soil:1 akadama,1 sand,1 peat or 1 sand,1 leaves soil,1 peat(leaves soil or sand must hold a few of lime;it is for this reason that it is better to add some calcareous stones);in any case soil must be porous and able to retain humidity. in olive there are three stages:childhood,youth and maturity. in childhood olive grows only by tap-root,dedicating portion of his vigour to form stump,where there are cotyledons;this stage lasts 7 years and can give some callus on trunk. in youth,olive sprouts second generations of roots,who are in relation to number of his trunks;trunk is unpleasantly inflated with one or many great roots,while fine roots are in depth:time necessary for this stage can come down to only one year with air-layer of stump. in maturity,olive stops to sprout deep roots and gives out many fine superficial roots;trunk loses his proper shape,while bark becomes from smooth to rugose and cracked;now it can live 800 or 1,000 years with stately appearance. Propagation:from seeds(very difficult,30% only of successes)at the end of winter. from cuttings:if cutting has diameter of 3cm(1 inche about),best time is third waning moon i.e. when olive gets ready to winter re-awakening;if cutting has from 3 cm to 7 cm(2.5 inches about)of diameter,better time is to waning moons of fall with branchs without leaves and with at least 5 knots. Pruning:all bad reputation of olive is why,when it is trimmed,some portion of tree retracts lymph and to first sprout there is an untidy and uncontrollable growth;time for forming's pruning is fall,when there is waning moon mostly if branches have diameter superior to 3cm(1 inche);if one trims in spring or summer there is risk of inflation of this zone;in any case eliminate buds in this part.the second pruning or structure's pruning is accomplished after spring and fall growth before a new vegetative cycle:eliminate buds who grow up or down so to have alternate ramification to right and left of principal branches. pinching is different according buds colors and age of tree in cycle of growth: new buds usually are green,violaceous and color wood;for young trees one cuts to first or third couple of leaves,according direction of buds,when branches from violaceous became color wood(it will grow only last couple of buds). with less young and aged trees,you pinch when branche is still green or is almost violaceous eliminating last couple of leaves,and leaves and buds who grow down.stop pinching if temperaure is down 10C(50F) or up 40C(104F):you will have smaller leaves and shorter internodes.generally almost all leaves who are in green part ramify and less of half of those placed in violaceous part. Wiring:young trees only from 2-3 yr,but warning from late fall to spring and it is necessary to control each week branches,olive wood is soft and easily wire cuts it.in aged trees wire is applied to old branches,but it is good thing to use raffia during tree dormance. Repotting:in spring when buds sprout,cutting 1\3 of roots and eliminating old leaves for 1\3 each 2-3 years. Watering:good watering but to leave dry after each watering,but not too much; my olive is always a lot wet;in any case this depends from light,wind,humidity, exposition. Exposition:full sun. Feeding:organic feed with slow transfer;but i use normal feeding like others trees. Styling:all styles except formal upright and roots expositions;no jin and shari because wood cracks and it is easy to have fungi's contamination. Diseases:cochineals,afids(green)generally with ants(if you have ants,there are also afids),tripids(sp.?),red spiders,black mould,peacock's eye(sp?),scabies (sp?)from Pseudomonas savastanoi. i hope this helps. regards marco favero@inrete.it ================================================================= From: jransohoff@aol.com Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 21:27:06 -0500 (EST) Robert: Have to disaagree with you about Olive trees not being able to withstand freezing temperatures. While I live in # 9 zone my olives (Olea Europa) have withstood temperatures down to 25 degrees F for several years and are very healthy and looking good. Bythe way, zones mean little as micro climates are throughout these zones. Here in the West, Sunset magazine has broken California, Arizona and Nevada into several (some 22 different zones which are far more accurate as a rating for our plants. Admittedly California is a vary climate varied state. Just had to let you know about olives withstanding cold climates. Regards-- Jim Ransohoff
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