Olive trees or olive trees – Tips for my orchard

Contents

Know the olive

Olive trees are evergreen plants, with cylindrical and twisted stems, gray or dark gray bark, conical-shaped foliage, fruit-bearing branches arranged horizontally in relation to the stem. The leaves are elliptical-lanceolate in shape, with a silvery-white underside, the roots are mostly adventitious, superficial and enlarged. This type of root guarantees the tree optimal survival even in soils, such as rocky soils, where the nutrient layer of the soil is very limited, the flower is small and white in color and the flowering itself occurs, depending on the cultivation method and the zones, from May to the first half of June. Olives (fruits weighing between 1 and 6 grams) are used for oil extraction and directly in food. The plant begins to bear fruit around the third/fourth year and reaches its full productivity from the ninth/tenth year. They are mostly long-lived trees that, under favorable climatic conditions, can live up to a thousand years.

care of olive trees

The great adaptability of the olive tree has made it able to withstand drought even for many months. Despite this, to be vigorous and fruitful, olive trees need constant, albeit not abundant, watering. The soil must be dry before irrigating again. Olive trees must be protected from too low temperatures and cold winds. Frost can already damage the wood at temperatures of -7 ° C and reduce the survival of the plant only at the stump. Pruning should be done between late winter and early spring. We proceed by being careful to protect the youngest branches (fine but more productive), eliminating a good amount of internal branches to favor the lighting of the plant and making clean cuts so as not to damage the bark.

How to Plant Olive Trees

Olive trees can be planted in any land, but an area well exposed to the sun must be identified, also to avoid the development of pests. To obtain a good result, it is preferable to obtain a seedling that is already two or three years old, strong enough to withstand a transplant from the pot to the ground. You will need to prepare the soil for planting the tree by mulching it, clearing it of weeds and reviving it by adding fertilizer and minerals, then digging a hole the size of the pot or root ball in which is the plant. After removing some soil from around the roots to release them, the plant is placed in the prepared hole and the soil is compacted, filling the hole, a thin layer of gravel ensures soil drainage.

Olive trees or olive trees: the enemies of olive trees

In addition to atmospheric agents, olive trees can be damaged by insects and diseases. Among the insects that mainly attack the olive tree, particular attention should be paid to the “olive fly” (a small fly easily eradicated by natural methods whose larvae feed on olives) and “thrips of the olive tree”, a shiny black insect with fringed wings, whose damage manifests itself on the shoots, leaves, flowers and fruits The main disease of the olive tree is “Cycloconium” or “peacock’s eye”, due to a fungus that affects all the green organs, but especially the leaves of the upper part where isolated or grouped circular spots develop. The spots show concentric polychromatic circles (from yellow to brownish) which draw the

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