Reviving an olive tree

[poorskeleton]

Hi,

 

I was recommended this forum for expert advice, but I feel a bit intrusive posting here. I hope I'm not out of order in doing so.

 

I have a grown from seed olive tree, about 1.5m tall which, in the autumn of 2014, started developing a few copper-coloured leaves. This became more widespread over the winter and last year and by the end of the summer the tree had shed all of its leaves.

 

I had resigned myself to having to get rid of it, but thought it worth waiting until this summer in case it revived in any way.

 

Much to my surprise, it has and there are now four suckers (is that the right terminology?) sprouting from the room.

 

As this was grown from seed I'm really keen to keep it alive in any way I can, so my questions (finally) are:

• At this point can I assume the original tree is dead, and would it be best to cut it away, or prune it substantially?
  
• Would it be better to cut away the suckers to encourage the original growth to revive?
  
• Should I get rid of all but one of the suckers?
  
• Any general advice as to how to make the most of this situation?
  

 

For future reference (I have another, even more mature, but less attractive Olive, also grown from seed) what might have been the cause of the original discolouring and eventual leaf loss and how might I avoid/respond to it if I see it in the future?

 

As I said, I hope I'm not out of line posting here, and I'm certainly really appreciative of any advice I might receive.

 

All the best

 

 

Chris

[Starscream]

I think olives can take a very hard cut; so, remove the dead and keep the new growth. Mulch around it, feed it (bonemeal should be good enough) and water it. They like sun so make sure it gets enough and isn't exposed to harsh winter wind (generally north-easterly I think)

[nepia]

As above but as ever with troublesome plants think of their natural environment.

Olives are often grown in thin soil but where they can get their roots way down crevices into permanent moisture.

Is your specimen pot-grown? if so consider a larger, deeper pot or planting out into a well-drained sunny site.

 

A rough idea of where you are may help.

[agg221]

If you want to check whether the main stem is dead, a slight nick in the bark with a sharp knife will soon tell you. Green and it's alive, brown and stick-like and it's dead. If you find a dead bit, try another nick a bit lower, then keep going down. If it is dead all the way down then it looks like you need to go back to the suckers which, since this is grown from seed rather than grafted, will be the same as the parent.

 

If you want to grow it on a clean stem, I would choose the nicest of the suckers and take the rest out.

 

What has the weather been like where you are? Particularly cold/wet/dry at the time of onset? Alternatively, any sign of damage to the tree near the base?

 

Alec

[poorskeleton]

Thanks for the replies so far - much appreciated.

 

I'm in Cambridge (UK) so the climate here is quite mild and not overly rainy.

 

I fear I may have over-watered and then over-fed in compensation.

 

For now the olive is in a south-facing spot, so hopefully relatively conducive to its recovery.

 

I did take a nick out of the tree a while ago and it seemed green, so I concluded it was in with a chance of survival. I'll try again and see how it seems now.

 

Thanks again for all the help - I'll keep you posted.

 

All the best

 

 

Chris

[gooseflight]

Olive trees are amazingly resilient. Consider some of the fantastically gnarled examples to be seen around the Med' and the conditions they grow in.

 

I think it likely that the main stem is dead or dying, probably from frost, which is why it has thrown up suckers. If it is confirmed to be dead then remove it and promote one of the suckers if you want a single stemmed tree. And yes, go easy on the feeding and watering.

 

You could take semi-ripe cuttings from any suckers you remove.

[poorskeleton]

Thanks for all the help so far. The latest news is that there are a few shoots sprouting from the trunk of the tree, so there is clearly still some life left in it. I plan to leave it alone and see how much new growth there is over the summer, and then prune to just above that, hopefully to salvage a tree with a good shape. (Frustratingly, I only commented what a good shape the tree was a few weeks before the leaves started turning brown!)

 

Cheers

 

 

Chris

[7610]

A gnarly olive tree will always look great. Think of the Med.

[poorskeleton]

A gnarly olive tree will always look great. Think of the Med.

 

I agree, and that's precisely the look I'm trying to achieve.

 

Incidentally, I have noticed in Spain (and possibly elsewhere) they usually plant three or four trees very close together and they grow into one another (adding to the gnarly look). Why is this done?

[gooseflight]

Incidentally, I have noticed in Spain (and possibly elsewhere) they usually plant three or four trees very close together and they grow into one another (adding to the gnarly look). Why is this done?

Do they? Most of the best examples are solitary 'standards'. It will only take 100 years or so to achieve the look you want.