What does an olive tree look like? How to create the right conditions
- Botanical description
- Growth and lifespan
- The benefits of a tree
- Olive oil
The olive tree plays an important role in various national cultures, is a universally recognized symbol of peace, longevity and prosperity. People have known it since ancient times. In Greece and other Mediterranean countries, it has been cultivated for many millennia. In honor of the olive, or olive, a botanical family was named, which also includes jasmine and ash. Of the 35 species, the most popular is the European olive.
The olive is a relic tree that began to be cultivated in the Stone Age for the sake of obtaining fruits.. The favorable warm and humid climate of the “cradle of civilization”, as the Mediterranean is called, contributed to its spread. Cultivars were bred in ancient times, there are practically no wild varieties left. The olive is grown in Greece, Spain, southern Italy, Turkey, Iran, northern Africa, on the Black Sea coast of Russia. It has been introduced to South America and Mexico.
Botanical description
AT young age olives are short, thin-stemmed trees or shrubs not exceeding 4–5 m. The bark is dark gray, furrowed, rather thick. The shoots are elongated, the crown is narrow and sparse.
Olive leaves are simple, leathery, narrowly lanceolate, elongated, with pointed ends and entire edges.. On the shoots they are opposite. Top part bluish-green, with thin veins, back of a silvery shade. The leaves do not fall for the winter, the renewal occurs gradually, they live for about 3 years.
The flowers are axillary, unisexual, light yellow or cream, about 4–6 mm, collected in paniculate elongated racemes of 10–40 pieces. They bloom in early April, the duration of flowering is 2-3 months, depending on the region of growth. At this time, the trees emit a very delicate aroma. After pollination, which occurs cross or with the help of the wind, fruits are tied, which are rounded drupes, shaped like small plums. Their size is from 1 to 4 cm. The surface in different stages of maturity has a color from light green to brown, purple or almost black. Sometimes the thin skin is covered with a wax coating. The fruits are called olives, or olives. Inside they contain a large hard furrowed bone, surrounded by pulp. In favorable conditions, trees bear fruit twice a year from 15–20 years of age.
As they grow older, the plants are distributed in breadth: the trunks increase in diameter, the shoots thicken, the crown acquires a spherical shape. In height, they can reach 12 m. The root system of adult trees also grows, becomes branched and powerful. The ends of the roots are sensitive to mineral compounds, which is typical for most sclerophyte plants. This allows trees to grow on steep slopes, in mountainous areas, poor rocky soils. Strong roots strengthen crumbling soil, so olives are often planted where there is a risk of landslides.
Growth and lifespan
The lifespan of olive trees reaches 1000 years. In old specimens, wide hollows are formed, the trunks are bent, becoming dumpy. At the same time, fruiting can be maintained if it is enough to periodically cut off old obsolete shoots. Then, after a while, young branches form on the trees.
Most of the year, soil moisture does not play important role for these plants. However, the lack of moisture before flowering negatively affects the quantity and quality of the future crop. In addition, the remoteness of planting olives from the sea matters. It turned out that in the depths of the continent without moist ocean air, they wither and cease to bear fruit even under favorable climatic conditions.
Olives are thermophilic plants. The minimum temperature they can tolerate is 7°C. Trees can also survive short-term frosts down to -10–12 ° C. With more extreme cold they freeze. The ideal temperature for growth and development is about 15–20°C.
The benefits of a tree
Olive wood is decorative, has high technical specifications. Its greenish-yellow coloration is very popular. olive color is a classic, widely used in decorating rooms and fabrics around the world. Olives are not straight-stemmed, they have many side branches. Curvy areas, the impossibility of making even boards make wood of little use in the construction industry. But high strength, density, hardness, durability, as well as a unique natural pattern make it possible to use it for the production of furniture, various joinery, small wooden parts, souvenirs, inlays.
The fruits are of special value. They contain:
- vitamins B, C, A, E;
- organic acids;
- saponins;
- potassium, phosphorus, iron;
Olive oil
Olives are used for vegetable oil, which has nutritional and medicinal properties. WHO recommends using it daily.
The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the best in the world.. This is the great merit of olive oil. It prevents the synthesis of bad cholesterol, ensures the elasticity of blood vessels, slows down aging, supports metabolic processes, and prevents cancer.
On the basis of this vegetable fat, produced at oil plants, soap is brewed, and various cleaning products are produced. In cosmetology and the pharmaceutical industry, it is used for the manufacture of preparations for skin care, treatment of the digestive tract.
The raw material for obtaining edible and medical oil is the pulp of olives, while the technical oil is squeezed out of the pits. AT different varieties its fruits contain from 30 to 80%. The most saturated belong to the oil group. Less fatty combinations are used in cooking and canned after pre-soaking in saline solution. Despite all the benefits, they cannot be eaten raw because of the bitter and astringent taste. However, special table olives with a lower content of bitterness are used without pre-treatment brine.
Olive leaves are also saturated useful substances . They include oleuropein, elenolide. The greens contain healing bitterness, phytoncides, tannins, tannins, esters, etc. The extract from olive leaves has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, and is included in preparations for the treatment of skin infections. The decoction lowers blood pressure, prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases.
Growing at home
The olive does not grow in open field in temperate or continental climates. The tree will not endure severe frosts, it will die in the first year. It can be bred under such conditions only as a greenhouse or room culture bonsai.
Home olive - low, up to 2 m, a tree with a rounded, dense crown. It can also be grown as potted plant. It is bred mainly as a decorative item, but it is possible to obtain fruits by grafting branches of adult crops to young ones.
Ready-made olive tree seedlings are sold in specialized shopping centers. Their cost varies from 2500 to 7000 rubles and depends on the age and ability to bear fruit.
You can try to sprout olives from the pits if they were taken from fresh ripe fruits, and not from canned food. Before planting in the ground, seeds are recommended to be stratified, i.e. keep in a cool place at a temperature of about 3–5 ° C for 2 months. The material prepared in this way is soaked in warm water with caustic or conventional baking soda for 12 hours. Then they are placed in small pots with a substrate of garden soil, leaf humus, peat and sand to a depth of 1-2 cm. In this case, the soil should be well-drained. Bones should not be planted in large containers, where they will grow with roots in breadth and depth, and the sprouts will not sprout for a long time. The soil must be moistened, covered with cellophane, providing greenhouse conditions, and placed in a well-lit place. It is advisable to plant several seeds at once, since the germination rate is about 50%.
Seeds germinate within 50-60 days. Young sprouts must be placed in a well-lit place, lighting will be required in winter. The ambient temperature should be about 22–24 ° C. It is required to regularly moisten and loosen the soil. At the age of 4-5 months, the plants are carefully transplanted into larger pots. The next transplant will be required in 2 years. This should not be neglected, because over time the roots fill all the free space in the dishes.
It will take at least 10 years to wait until a tree grown from a stone becomes an adult and begins to form olives. Olives purchased or planted by cuttings form fruits 4 years after planting. Segments of shoots about 30 cm long with several leaves are treated with phytohormones and buried 7–10 cm deep into a mixture of humus and peat. For several days they cover with a large jar. Shoots take root in 2-3 months. After that, they are transferred to permanent pots.
Care
Caring for olive trees is simple, but you need to monitor the degree of illumination, control soil moisture, and pay attention to the condition of the leaves. This will prevent you from missing the onset of the disease.
Watering required every 3 days. As they grow older in the summer, you will have to irrigate the crown with water. The humidity of the ambient air must be at least 80%. In the warm season, it is useful to take olives into the open air. In winter, watering is reduced to 1 time per week, and the temperature is reduced to 13 ° C.
Fertilizers are applied throughout the growing season, i.e. from March to October. On average, 1 top dressing in 2 weeks is enough. An aqueous solution of superphosphate, liquid organics are useful.
When laying buds, plant care should be especially thorough. For pollination and obtaining the ovary, it is recommended to slightly shake the branches or direct a stream of air from a hair dryer onto them.
Opinions differ on crown pruning.. If the olive is intended to produce fruits, then care must be taken with the haircut, since olives are formed only on shoots not younger than 2 years of age. Ornamental plants can be shortened to give the desired shape to the branches. Weak and drying processes are removed in any case.
With excessive heat, dryness or waterlogging, the olive sheds its leaves or twists them. Nutrient deficiencies in greenhouses can cause a slowdown in its development.
The olive tree, olive family, grows in countries with a warm subtropical climate, in Russia it is cultivated in the southern regions: in the Crimea and Krasnodar Territory. The middle zone of our country is not suitable for cultivation olive culture, however, you can grow an olive tree in a greenhouse or at home with a minimum of effort.
Table varieties of olives, with proper care, will delight you with fruits for a long time, because olive trees are long-lived flora. An example is the Gardens of Gethsemane, with olive trees over one and a half thousand years old.
Greece is called the birthplace of olive culture, there is a legend that Greek goddess Athena sent an olive branch as a gift to the fertile land, which gave rise to the first olive gardens.
Types and varieties of olive trees
The olive tree has more than 30 types of culture. The most common species is the European olive, as well as golden-leaved and Cape.
Olive tree varieties can be divided into several groups:
Oilseed - a varietal group of olives grown for the production of olive oil.
Combined (universal olive variety) - designed for both oil production and conservation.
Table varietal group - intended for conservation and consumption.
The names of olive varieties are often similar to the places where the crop is grown. Wild varieties of olives are unknown, the explanation may be that people have long grafted cultivated olive branches to wild variety, thereby completely destroying the primitive species of olive trees. Today, a European high-yielding variety of olives is grown on an industrial scale.
Large producers of olives can be called Spain, Greece, Italy, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco. All cultivars differ in characteristics(composition of olives, size, color), destination group, the quality of the final product directly depends on the variety of olive raw materials.
Olive varieties include Spanish, Ascolana, Cherignola, Zinzala, Lucca, Sabina. And oilseed varieties include: Frantogno, Tajasca, Caione, Biancolilla.
For growing an olive tree at home, choose European table varieties. The most suitable are recognized: Della Madonna, Urtinsky, Nikitinsky, Crimean, Razzo. To the question: “How long does an olive tree live?”, We can safely say that it is more than a hundred years old.
Through the painstaking work of breeders, potted varieties of olive trees were obtained, allowing you to grow an indoor olive tree in a pot. Such trees differ from their relatives only in size. These are evergreen, undersized trees with a lush, dark green crown. The harvest of olives, of course, will not please you, since the variety has a decorative function, but you can still collect 10-15 homemade olives from a tree.
Olive tree at home. Growing from seeds, seedlings and cuttings
Growing an olive tree room conditions enough painstaking work. It's all about the temperature regime, if it is not observed, the tree will not bear fruit. In order for the buds to appear, the indoor tree, like its soil counterparts, must fall into a winter sleep, so the olive must be exposed to low temperatures, but hypothermia of the culture must be excluded. The optimal temperature for sleeping will be from +1 to +5 degrees.
The flowering of the olive tree is accompanied by the appearance of large white inflorescences, the first flowers appear from April, May. Maturation indoor fruits after flowering comes in four months.
A good yield of an olive tree is considered to be about 30 kg., Well, a houseplant is considered fruitful if it gives about 600 gr. olives.
The indoor olive tree remains evergreen throughout its life, however, like its large relatives, it can drop leaves, this is considered the norm and does not require resuscitation.
Growing an olive tree from seeds is not an easy process, requiring patience and attention. First you need to purchase olive seeds (pits), canned foods will not work, olives for planting can be fresh or dried.
So, having obtained and cleaned the olives, it is necessary to soak the resulting bones in a weak solution of alkali for a day, then rinse them with water and dry with a paper towel. Before planting, file the olive seed coat to facilitate germination. It is better to plant in a pot, it is easier to control seed germination, humidity and temperature.
The sawn seeds are placed in a pot with soil to a depth of 3 cm, do not allow the seed to dry out and be excessively moistened. The first shoots will appear within six months.
Olive trees do not tolerate low temperatures, so seed propagation is carried out in a warm room or in summer.
To speed up the process of growing an olive tree from the seed, you should germinate the seeds before planting in the ground, to do this, place them in a shallow container with compost, place them on a sunny windowsill and moisten daily.
When the seeds germinate, you can start planting in the soil. It is necessary to mix black soil and sand in equal proportions, add peat, dry crushed lime and plant seeds in the resulting mixture. Before planting, do not forget about the presence of drainage (the olive does not tolerate stagnant water) and hardening young plant, by the temperature alternation method.
When the olive seedling gets stronger and grows up, it can be planted in the ground, along with the contents of the pot, so as not to damage the root system. The olive tree is planted in the spring in well-warmed and moistened soil, in a calm and sunny area. Fruiting should be expected three to four years after planting.
Caring for a young oilseed plant consists in cutting off the lower shoots so that the tree grows up and does not turn into a bush, in daily watering and fertilizing with fertilizers.
When the olive is propagated by cuttings, the tree inherits all the "mother" qualities, this method of planting simplifies further cultivation and speeds up the fruiting process of a young plant.
Cuttings should be carried out from older shoots, the places of cuts are processed before planting succinic acid or other root. Planting material is planted in a wet sod-sand mixture to a depth of 15 cm.
To help the cuttings take root, constant watering, heated soil and good lighting can. Plantings should be watered daily, preferably with settled water. Rooting of the plant will occur no earlier than four months later. If an olive stalk does not take root for a long time, but retains its fresh look, then some more time is needed, but if the stalk is dry and brown, then death has come. When the stalk takes root, the olive can be transplanted into the ground.
landing on permanent place growth should be done at the end of August. The seedling is carefully removed from the previously moistened substrate, and placed in a new prepared place. It is necessary to plant the stalk carefully, without damaging the roots and not overloading it with soil, until the plant takes root in a new place.
Many novice gardeners are wondering: "How to care for an olive tree"? The olive tree is not capricious, but the “southerner” still requires attention. Watering is done daily, but without stagnation of moisture in the soil. When the olive tree begins to grow actively, feed it with mineral fertilizers and nitrogen. The seedling should have enough heat and light, otherwise the olive will shed its leaves and fade.
In winter, an olive plant in the open field should not be left without proper protection. A young tree should be protected from the cold by wrapping the trunk heat-insulating material stop watering and fertilizing.
Potted olive tree crops need to be artificially created winter conditions, and in the process of healing the tree, cutting dry branches, you can shape the crown of foliage to your liking and learn the art of bonsai on your olive tree. An olive bonsai tree can also be purchased at a specialized supermarket, small-leaved varieties look especially impressive.
Olive trees in Russia, cultivation history
The Greek colonists began to cultivate the olive in the Caucasus as early as the 8th century. The debate about when and by whom the olive was brought to the Caucasus continues to this day, however, there is an assumption that the first seedlings of the olive tree appeared in our latitudes from Asia Minor, which suggests the origin of the olive in the Caucasus, earlier than in Greece .
The desolation of the ancient Greek colonies led to the fact that olive orchards ceased to exist until the 15th century, and only with the arrival of the colonizers of Genoa, a new rise in the cultivation of the olive tree and the establishment of olive production began. Subsequently, viticulture displaced the olive from the southern latitudes. Today, the olive is found on the entire Black Sea coast. Krasnodar Territory.
Olive trees in Russia are also grown in the Crimea, they are found on the peninsula, adding zest to the local southern flavor. For the production of oil on an industrial scale, olives are not grown in our country due to difficult climatic conditions.
Benefits of olive fruit
Olives or olives are the fruits of the olive tree, outwardly they are similar to a small plum. Changing color during ripening, from green to dark purple, olives become a storehouse of vitamins and trace elements. Olives are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and iodine. Olive oil, obtained from olives during the production process, is rich in pectin, iron and oleic acid.
The inclusion of olive oil in the diet will help get rid of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis, diseases gastrointestinal tract, cholelithiasis, thyroid diseases, will help strengthen the immune system and cope with constipation. Olive oil perfectly moisturizes the skin and has a regenerating ability in combination with rosehip and sea buckthorn oils.
In cosmetology, olive oil is used to prepare masks and conduct relaxing procedures, olive extracts are added to soap and shower products. Hand wrapping with olive oil tones the skin, moisturizes, saturates and nourishes, makes nails healthy.
Olive oil hair masks prevent hair loss, get rid of dandruff, brittleness and dullness.
The leaves of the olive tree contain the substance oleuropein, which has antiseptic and antimicrobial effects, they are in demand in the form of powder and infusions. There is an opinion that olive oil, namely the content of oleuropein in it, helps in the fight against skin cancer.
Olive oil is produced from olive fruits, which is used to season various dishes. Raw olives are of little use for consumption, because of bitterness, in order to get rid of the bitter taste, the olives are soaked in a special solution or subjected to conservation.
Oil-bearing varieties of olives, due to their varietal affiliation, are processed to obtain oil. With the help of cold pressing, the first batch of oil is obtained, which is considered the most useful. Further, by thermal treatment, the pomace is used to produce second-pressed oil, yellowish and less aromatic than first-class olive oil. From the remaining raw materials after the first and second extraction, the third grade oil is squeezed out, it is not eaten, but used for technical purposes.
Composition of olives different varieties differs, and depends not only on the type of olive tree, but also on the growing conditions and climate. All olives of a table grade are exposed to conservation or dry salting. They serve as an excellent appetizer or addition to salads, various vegetable dishes. Dry salting of olives consists in pickling olives in wooden containers, salt neutralizes oleuropein and relieves olives of bitterness. After, the olives are soaked in olive oil, stuffed or immediately sent for storage.
The benefits of the fruits of the olive tree are indisputable, consuming olives in a reasonable amount, not exceeding 5-6 pieces per day, you can strengthen the immune system and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Oliva is often grown not for its fruits, but for its attractive, decorative appearance. To date, many varieties of this culture have been bred, each of which has its own characteristics. distinctive features. For indoor cultivation, olive varieties are suitable, reaching no more than 2 m in height, suitable for growing in a container.
These include:
Photo gallery
To obtain edible fruits of high palatability, you should choose table varieties.
The indoor olive is an evergreen, miniature tree with a compact, spherical crown. The bark of young individuals is light gray, older ones are dark. The leaves are narrow, dense, lanceolate, dark green. They stay on the branches for a long time, without falling even in winter period. Gradually renewed every 2-3 years. The flowers are small, white, bisexual, with a goblet calyx. The fruits are one-seeded, elongated-oval drupes 0.7-3 cm long with a pointed or blunt end and a fleshy pericarp. The color of the fruit depends on the variety, it can vary from green to dark purple. The average weight of a nut is 15 g.
Indoor olive tree at home
The olive is propagated at home by seeds, cuttings, grafting. For decorative purposes, the tree is propagated by seeds. Before planting, they are stratified by soaking for 12-16 hours in a solution of caustic soda. After that, the seeds are rinsed and planted in a small pot with a diameter of 7-9 cm to a depth of 2 cm in moist nutrient soil. Sprouts will hatch in 2 months. During this period, you need to regularly care for the crops, monitor soil moisture, water as the earthen clod dries out, and prevent it from drying out or waterlogging. Germination of seeds of this plant is 40-50%. In some cases, the seeds do not germinate, or weak, non-viable sprouts appear, which soon die. Trees obtained in this way begin to bear fruit in 8-10 years. In order to speed up the period of flowering and fruiting, grown seedlings are grafted onto varietal plants.
When propagated by cuttings, the tree retains all maternal signs, the fruits appear 2-3 years after planting. To do this, take cuttings of 2-3-year-old branches. The sections are treated with a growth stimulator, then the cutting is buried in the sand to a depth of 10 cm, covered with glass or polyethylene on top to create a greenhouse. Optimum temperature for rooting 25-27°C. Within a month, the plant will take root, shoots will begin to form. After 3-4 months, the root system will be fully formed, after which the seedling can be transplanted to a permanent place in a large one.
The houseplant olive is photophilous, so it should be grown in bright sunlight. South windows are suitable for young individuals, adult trees can be placed in a room in any bright place, or in a winter garden or greenhouse. In the warm season, it is useful to take the pot out into the open air, for example, into the garden or onto the balcony. An abundance of light is especially necessary during the period of tree growth and the formation of flower buds. With its lack, the growth of the olive will slow down, the shoots will begin to stretch in length. In winter, the tree needs to be provided with additional lighting in order to avoid leaf fall.
The most comfortable air temperature for this crop is 18-22°C. In the winter dormant period, the temperature should be 10-13 ° C. Wintering in such conditions will contribute to the laying of flower buds. The number of waterings at this time is reduced, top dressing is not applied.
Blooming olive: home care
Caring for the olive at home, it is important to monitor the condition of the earthy coma. Watering is carried out as the topsoil dries. The lack of moisture negatively affects the plant, the leaves fade, curl and fall off, which can lead to its death.
The olive tree at home tolerates dry air well, but in extreme heat it is necessary to spray the crown. Up to 4 years of age, an annual plant transplant is required. This work is carried out in early spring, changing upper layer soil to fresher and more fertile.
You can give the crown a neat, spherical shape using pruning. When forming, weak, dry branches are removed, too long shoots are shortened, and they are given the desired shape. If the tree is grown for nuts, it should be remembered that most of The crop is formed on last year's growth, so pruning in this case must be done very carefully.
Despite the rather laborious process of growing the olive, it is unpretentious, easily tolerates drought, and is not subject to invasion. By carrying out regular, proper care, already 2 years after planting, it will be possible to observe how a blooming olive looks like and get a good harvest of fruits (up to 2 kg of nuts per year).
olive house tree belongs to the Maslinov family. In its wild form, it can be found in subtropical regions, and the Mediterranean, Australia and Africa are considered to be its homeland. The olive is one of the oldest highly ornamental plants known to mankind. That is why they began to grow it at home as unusual specimens of domesticated garden crops. And they value the olive tree not only for its fruits, which are used in cooking, but also for their decorative effect.
What an evergreen olive tree in a pot looks like and how it blooms (with photo)
A houseplant called the olive tree or olive tree is evergreen. The lanceolate leaves, which are green above and silver-gray below, give a special decorative effect to this flower. The home-grown olive tree has a wide spreading crown with twisted branches and sometimes a trunk. The bark of this plant is outwardly similar to scales and, as it were, forms influxes. It is often black, sometimes with a brown tint. The olive tree, like a flower growing in room conditions, acquires special beauty and tenderness during the appearance of buds from May to June. Inflorescences are small (0.4-0.5 mm), yellowish-white, fragrant, collected 15-30 pieces in axillary racemes. The fruit is tied with self-pollination or a cross method. But with the second method of pollination, both the qualitative and quantitative indicators of the formation of flowers and fruits are improved.
If the olive tree is grown in a pot, then mature plant with proper care, it can produce up to 2 kg of berries.
The fruit is a drupe with black or purple oily flesh and a hard stone. The ripening period is from October to November.
The plant is slow growing, so it can live indoors for many years.
There are quite a few varieties of this garden culture, but for home growing one species is used as an indoor ornamental plant - the European olive (O. europaea).
What this olive tree looks like, look at the photo:
Since this plant comes from the subtropics, the olive tree needs light and sun. Therefore, your room olive will feel as comfortable as possible on the windowsills of the south side or, in extreme cases, the west or east-south orientation. If the indoor olive or olive tree grows and becomes large enough to keep it on the windowsill, then it is appropriate to place it on the floor near the window. Do not be afraid of the proximity of the greenery of the plant with heating appliances, it tolerates such a neighborhood well. You can also place a flowerpot on an insulated loggia, which faces south.
The plant is considered thermophilic, but in winter the olive is kept in a bright, cool room with a temperature of 10-12 ° C. If you want to see how your olive tree blooms, then the plant needs to provide exactly such cool conditions in winter time. But in the summer it will be quite comfortable for him Environment up to + 25 ° С, so the flowerpot with the olive can be taken out to the balcony or to the garden.
It does not require high humidity, it tolerates the drying of the earth well.
Prefers calcareous soils with lime content. The substrate for olives is prepared from sod land, humus and sand (2:1:1).
How can an olive tree grow, look at the photo:
Rules for caring for an olive tree when grown indoors
As for any other houseplant, the olive tree has its own rules of care, which should be followed if you want to grow a beautiful and healthy tree. This is not to say that keeping this houseplant in an apartment is too difficult, but it has its own characteristics. To grow an olive or olive tree, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Regular, but not too much.
- Timely feeding.
- Spraying in dry air.
- Transplant as needed.
Since this plant is thermophilic, the olive tree, when grown at home, requires a sufficient amount of sun and moisture. In the summer, provide regular watering, but not abundant. In winter, they rarely moisten, but it is necessary to ensure that the soil lump does not dry out. Although the plant is not afraid of the drying of the soil, this should not be allowed. This indoor tree has a fairly large root, so when moistening an earthy coma, care should be taken to ensure that moisture flows to the very bottom of the flowerpot. Flower growers recommend this mode of watering: in summer 2-3 times a week, and in winter 1-2. But, choosing the time of watering, it is still better to focus on the dryness of the topsoil in the pot.
Whether a full-fledged care for an olive tree, which is grown in room conditions, can be understood by its foliage. With constant insufficient watering, it becomes lethargic and turns pale. If the tree does not have enough moisture and at the same time it grows in a dry environment, then this can cause the plant to begin to shed its leaves.
But under the conditions of irrigation for this indoor flower it should be remembered that excess moisture adversely affects the development of olives.
For a domestic olive tree, spraying is mandatory, but this should only be done on very hot days or if the flowerpot with the plant is nearby. heating appliances. Moisturizing the crown should be carried out with settled water at room temperature. It is best to do this in the early morning or evening. This will help protect the plant from burns. If the air in the growing area is not too dry, the olive tree does not require air humidification.
How to properly prune an olive tree to form a crown
If you want to know how to care for an olive tree, then carefully read one more point in its cultivation - top dressing. From April to September, 2-3 times a month, complete mineral or ready-made flower fertilizer is applied to the soil. This is the period of peak development of the plant, when it needs enough minerals for normal growth. Some flower growers recommend top dressing with such a scheme: in spring - nitrogen-containing, and in summer mineral fertilizers.
This plant tolerates crown formation well. Therefore, many are trying to perform this procedure in such a way that it takes on a bizarre shape. If you know how to properly prune an olive tree yourself, you can not only form a crown, but also give a new impetus to the development of the plant.
All work is carried out with the help of a pruner in the spring, as soon as the olive tree began to wake up from sleep. When forming the crown, it is important to remove not only dead branches, but also shoots that compete with each other. At the same time, weaker ones should be removed, leaving strong and healthy ones.
If you know how to properly prune the crown of an olive tree, you can increase the yield by such actions. To do this, when cutting this plant, they try to remove old branches. Thus, it is possible to make room for the development of young shoots, which give the first fruits in the second year.
Some flower growers, when growing this plant at home, notice that sometimes there is nothing to cut in the spring. If you are faced with such a problem, then the lack of growth of new shoots indicates insufficient moisture in the plant. And if you notice that the foliage on the olive has begun to crumble, then most likely the flower does not have enough lighting. For an olive tree grown at home, the height is limited to 0.8 m.
During the shearing of this plant in spring period don't be afraid to trim it too much. The olive tolerates pruning very well, and during the growing season it will give a good increase in new shoots.
Planting and transshipment of an olive tree flower
An olive grown at home can live over 10 years. If we take this indicator into account, then the owners of this plant have a logical question whether it is necessary to transplant and how often to do it. First, let's look at the intricacies of how to plant an olive tree for growing at home. First select suitable look and prepare a container. It must be large enough. If you do not grow a plant from a seed yourself, for example, but have already acquired enough mature tree, then the dimensions of the pot must be at least 60 cm in depth and width. Since the olive does not like an excess of moisture in the soil, additional wide holes should be made in the flowerpot for the free exit of excess water.
For planting a young olive tree, loamy or sandy soil is taken. As the plant grows, the old container may become small, so it is appropriate to transplant. At a young age, the olive is transplanted after a year. After 5 years - once every 2-3 years. To make it easier for the olive tree to survive all the work of changing the pot and soil, it is better to transplant it using the transshipment method. This helps to carry out all the work as painlessly as possible for the plant, without damaging its root system. Also, when growing an indoor olive tree, transshipment helps to speed up its growth.
To carry out these works, prepare a larger pot than it was before, about 10 cm in diameter. Make large holes in it and fill the bottom with expanded clay or any other drainage material. Fill the pot up to 1/3 with a suitable potting mix. An earthen ball in an old flowerpot with a plant should be well moistened with water. As soon as the liquid is completely absorbed and the soil is moistened to the very bottom, carefully remove the tree along with the clod of earth and roots. Transfer it to a new pot, and fill the resulting voids with fresh earth.
Is it fashionable to grow an olive tree from a stone and how to do it at home
Read on to learn how to grow your own olive tree. Of course, on the market you can buy ready-made rooted cuttings or a one- or two-year-old olive tree and simply transplant them to a permanent habitat, providing full care. But for many it is very exciting to grow this plant yourself. Therefore, quite often questions arise whether it is possible to grow an olive tree, for example, from a stone and whether it will bear fruit.
This is evergreen tree can be propagated by two methods: semi-lignified cuttings, and less often seeds (pits) are used for this. The first method manages to preserve all the specific features of the mother olive, but when planting seeds, the likelihood of their loss increases. Therefore, using this method of reproduction, it is necessary to bud the game.
How to grow an olive tree from a seed:
- Soak the seeds for 16-18 hours in a 10% caustic soda solution.
- Rinse them in running water.
- Use secateurs to separate the “nose” from the bone.
- Prepare a permeable soil (sheet with sand).
- Plant 2-3 cm deep.
- Moisten the soil.
If everything is done correctly, then shoots will appear no earlier than in 2-3 months. In the process of growing from seed, do not ignore the point with soaking planting material. This procedure will significantly soften the shell of the seeds, which will increase their germination several times.
The bores are allowed to grow until about 2-3 branches appear and are transplanted into a larger pot. A young olive tree requires proper care during the growth period (moisturizing, maintaining temperature, sufficient light), which guarantees the normal active development of the root system and crown. A year after the transplant, you can vaccinate the wild with one of the available methods:
- An example under the bark.
- A sprouting eye in a clothespin.
It is worth noting that the tree grown from the olive pit is distinguished by a later period of flowering and fruiting. So, the first buds on such an olive tree can be seen no earlier than in 8-10 years.
Propagation of the olive tree by cuttings
If you are interested not only in the decorativeness of the plant, but also useful fruits olive tree, then for reproduction it is better to choose the method of cuttings. All work is carried out in the spring, when the flower has just begun its active growth. Cut branches are taken as planting material, the age of which should not be less than 2 years. In such cuttings, the diameter at the cut point reaches 4 cm. The cuts must be treated with garden pitch. The prepared planting material is planted in horizontal position in a container with sand to a depth of 10 cm.
The cuttings have a lot of buds, so after about a month, young shoots appear on them. Such a young olive tree, grown at home, requires the following care:
- 1-2-time watering using a growth stimulator.
- The temperature is about 25 °C.
- Adequate lighting without direct sunlight.
Cuttings in the process of rooting and growth require high humidity. Therefore, a pot with such young shoots should be covered with cellophane or glass. Once a day they need to be sprayed with water at room temperature. After 2-4 months, the cuttings can be transplanted to a permanent place. The next transshipment is not earlier than a year later in the spring. When grown in this way, the first fruits can be seen as early as 2-3 years.
Now you know how to grow a fruit-bearing olive tree at home. Be sure to follow the tips for growing and caring, and very soon your olive will delight you. beautiful flowers and fruits.
Flowering and fruiting period of the olive tree
When growing this plant, many want to see not only interesting decorative features but also its buds and fruits. The olive tree during the flowering period is very beautiful and fragrant. And you can see this on a 3-5 year old plant. In many ways, the fruiting time depends on the olive variety, so, in some varieties of this tree, the first flowering can be seen only after 10 years. Therefore, it is recommended to clarify this point before buying planting material.
You can speed up the fruiting process by creating favorable growing conditions for the plant, which are described above.
Treatment of the olive tree from diseases and pests
An olive tree at home, even with proper care, has a reduced threshold of sensitivity to diseases and pests. It is very important to identify the problem in a timely and correct manner and begin to deal with it.
This plant, when grown at home, is most often affected by such pests:
Whitefly.
Olive moth.
whitefly- this is a relative of the well-known aphid, which looks like a small white midge about 3 mm long. In the course of its life it leaves white coating on the greenery of the plant, it begins to wither, becomes covered yellow spots, and possibly its twisting. Olive when damaged by such a pest very quickly loses its decorative effect. In the photo you can see what an olive tree affected by a whitefly looks like:
The danger of being affected by this pest also lies in the fact that it is a carrier various diseases(chlorosis, jaundice, etc.). To control this pest, use chemicals("Grinda", "Confidor Extra", "Bison", "Commander Maxi", etc.), which are processed at least 2 times with a frequency of 1 time in 2 weeks.
The main enemy of this plant is the olive moth. She settles on a flower, and her larvae eat buds, young foliage. When affected by this pest, the green of the olive tree changes outwardly, read the description of how the traces of damage by this moth look like. This will help to identify and start the fight against it in time. The foliage twists, if you unfold it, then inside you can see the pest sometimes in the web. To combat the olive moth, you should first remove all visible damaged elements. Further processing chemicals("Decis", "Aktara", "Fitoverm", etc.).
If you notice that the foliage on your tree has begun to wither, and the young shoots are developing poorly, and at the same time the plant is being cared for at the proper level, then most likely this is a signal of an olive disease. Most common fungal diseases affecting olive trees.
The most dangerous is verticillium wilt - fungal disease caused by a pathogenic microorganism of the genus Verticillium.
It is quite rare on olives that are grown at home, but it can still appear. It is not treatable, and the only way to quickly get rid of it is to notice the disease in time and remove all affected areas.
Growing an olive at home, provide it with the most favorable conditions. Then your tree will develop well and after a few years it will delight you with the first fragrant flowers and oily fruits.
* Calculations use average data for Russia
¡Conozco tu encanto sin fin, padre olivo,
al darnos la sangre que extraes de la Tierra!
(Federico Garcia Lorca)
Olives are traditionally considered the culture of Greece, Spain and Italy, but by no means Russia. In this country given plant very difficult to grow due to the unsuitable climate, however, in fact, no one really tried to grow olives. The current state of agriculture is such that even traditional grains are abandoned as a culture, to be sure about overseas and outlandish plants.
But the olive is not a banana tree or a pineapple bush, and it can feel good in the southwest of this country. Russia in recent times tends to increase its territory, and in the new region - the Crimea - olives have been successfully grown for many years. Therefore, such a noble culture can be grown even on a limited, but still some territory of Russia. Of course, first of all, it is necessary to return the former greatness to cereals and other more familiar agricultural plants, but if we are optimistic about the future and believe that the agricultural sector will finally be restored, then the cultivation of the olive tree can become a new type of agricultural business.
Olives are grown for two purposes - to obtain edible or oily fruits. There is also the opportunity to grow those plants that produce fruits suitable both for eating and for making oil. The difference in this case will be only in the technology of cultivation and in the time of harvesting the fruits. Therefore, from the very beginning, you need to choose a variety that is not only the most suitable for the area in which it will grow, but also suitable for the intended use. Also, the wild olive begins to bear fruit only in the twentieth year of life, and you need to choose the variety that can provide a harvest in a few years. Most early varieties can bear fruit as early as 2 years after planting, but sometimes this happens only after 10 years.
The cultivated species for producing olives is Olea europӕa, or the cultivated olive. At the same time, from a scientific point of view, the olive has another name - the olive, although in everyday life black-purple fruits are called olives, and green olives. At the same time, such a division is typical only for Russia, in the rest of the world these concepts are synonymous. Green fruits are unripe, and in some varieties they are not eaten, as they have a bitter aftertaste. However, in Russia, most likely, it will be necessary first of all to select a variety that is resistant to local climatic conditions, sacrificing all other characteristics. You can grow olives that are cultivated in Greece or Italy only in the Crimea or in the very south of the Krasnodar Territory. At the same time, the Caucasus has always been a territory where olive trees feel excellent.
To engage in the cultivation of olives on an industrial scale, you need to register as a business entity. industrial scale is considered to be the cultivation of plants on an area of more than one hectare. Not every entrepreneur will immediately decide to work with such a plant atypical for Russia on large plots, so you can try from several ares of land, while remaining an individual who has nothing to do with entrepreneurship - from a legal point of view. Such activities fall under the definition of personal subsidiary farm(LPH). If, nevertheless, it was decided to allocate a hectare or more for olives, then you need to register a legal entity or individual entrepreneur. There is also a special form - a peasant farm (peasant farm), which is also not a legal entity, but a business entity that is registered by those businessmen who are engaged in agriculture. All these procedures will take no more than a month and they will require about 20 thousand rubles, including state duty and other petty expenses to the bureaucracy.
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It is preferable to have your own land in order to cultivate your own orchard; olive trees live very long and bear fruit for many years. In this regard, have perennial trees in fact, it is not worth it on someone else's land. Growing olives can even become a family business, because several generations of people can change, and the olive will continue to grow. The cost of buying land varies too much depending on the region and location from the nearest settlements, so it is rather difficult to name an average price.
If a decision is made to lease the land, then you need to count on an average of 2,000 per hectare in central Russia. Although the olive is very demanding on the climate (“Mediterranean” is the best description of a suitable climate for this crop), it is quite easy to take root and grow on many types of soil. Many olive trees grow even into rocks, and at the same time they feel great. But loamy or sandy soils are best suited to her, but they should be fairly loose and moderately fertile.
Too fertile land can lead to the formation a large number fruits, but in this case the quantity will rather be a disadvantage, because there will be many fruits, but they will not become as enriched with the necessary substances as necessary. This is one of the reasons why chernozem is not too good view soil for this crop.
The olive also requires a relatively high nitrogen content in the soil, and either composting or close growing can help here. legumes, which, as you know, enrich the soil with these elements. The acidity of the soil should not be too high, but the alkalinity will only benefit this plant (but in moderation, of course).
If you plan to get a crop intended for sale in the form of fruits, then you need to take care of irrigating the site, the humidity brings excellent taste qualities; on the other hand, its high level reduces the amount of oil in the fruit, so if you plan to produce oil or sell oilseed fruits, regular watering will be enough. It is best to grow several varieties on the territory that will pollinate each other, otherwise you may not get a crop at all. It is good to plant trees of different varieties next to each other, distinguishing varieties should not be a problem; in extreme cases, trees can be noted: where is Shrovetide, and where is fruit.
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Caring for an olive tree is a whole science and even a ritual. In Greece, there is even a special position, which involves only pruning the crown of the olive. If you have the means and opportunity, you can visit countries where the olive tree is a symbol of culture and an important agricultural plant to learn the art of growing the olive tree. If this is not possible, then you should collect all the available information to the maximum in order for things to go smoothly. But some advice can be given now.
The olive tree loves to grow very much, that is, a huge number of new shoots grow around the main trunk, which tend to become new trees. If they are not removed correctly, then all the nutrients will be evenly distributed between the offspring and the parent plant, which will lead to low productivity. The trunk should be one, then it alone will give a decent harvest. After the crop is harvested, the crown is pruned, which is a very crucial moment. It is necessary to remove the branches of the tree correctly and in the right amount, because olives are formed on branches that bear fruit twice in their life. If they are not removed at all, there will be many fruits, but of poor quality. If you remove it completely, you will have to have a zero yield for a year. And with all this, it is necessary to cut not just a certain percentage of branches, but precisely so that in the end the entire crown receives the same amount of light.
The tree itself should be in a bright and warm place; olives can tolerate short-term frosts down to -10 ° C, and this will in no way affect the life of the plant, but prolonged cold can greatly reduce fruiting in the next season. There are, of course, more winter-hardy varieties, but they are still not very adapted to the climate of central Russia, and here there is room for the breeder to work.
Businessmen in the south of Russia, in turn, can be content with those varieties that have long been bred and show good results. Being a heat-loving plant, the olive only begins to bloom in mid-summer, and the fruit ripening period is usually very long, although flowering is fast. Olives are ready for harvest at the end of October (although there are varieties that yield even in early December), and it is very important to choose the right time for harvesting. The fact is that the biological ripeness of olives does not coincide with the technical ripeness; that is, the fruits need to be harvested a little unripe. It all depends on the variety, but usually fruits are used for oil, only poured with a “wine” color - that is, darkened. If olives are grown for food purposes, then they are also harvested green (there are special varieties for this), but fully ripened fruits are rarely even eaten, as they are a little bitter.
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However, even if a businessman lives in the northern regions, he has a chance to start growing olives. Some farmers have had success growing olive trees indoors. It is important to create a microclimate in the greenhouse as close as possible to the "Mediterranean", and this is very difficult to do. However, here, again, it is necessary breeding work, because if you do it, you can grow olive trees even in the middle lane. However, today this possibility is limited to the cultivation of the so-called dwarf olive trees, which some people use as home plant(which also bears fruit as a bonus). You can’t get a serious profit for the harvest from such an “apartment garden”, but these plants can be propagated and sold. As mentioned above, the olive tree, even a dwarf one, grows with great willingness, and in this way it can be propagated. Thus, it is possible to build a home business by growing and selling unusual house plants. In this case, the investment will be minimal.
But for your full-fledged olive garden, you need to allocate a lot of money. Up to 350 trees can fit on one hectare, although it is optimal when plants are allocated an order of magnitude more space, but in this case it will be possible to plant no more than 50 trees on one hectare. The cost of an olive tree seedling is 2 thousand rubles. Thus, for your garden you need to allocate 700 thousand rubles per hectare.
In the Mediterranean, it is sometimes possible to get about a centner of crop from one tree, but for Russia this figure is very difficult to achieve, so even 15 kilograms from a tree will be very a good indicator. It turns out that one hectare of the garden will yield about 5 tons and 250 kilograms of crop. The price of olives today in the Russian market is entirely dictated by import suppliers. The cost of packaged olives can reach one thousand per kilogram, but in their raw form, their price is about 40% lower, that is, one kilogram can be sold for about 600 rubles.
Thus, the proceeds from one hectare in one season can amount to 3 million 150 thousand rubles. This indicator is considered very good, and you need to take into account the fact that the amount may be slightly lower. After all, it must be taken into account that in order to enter the market, the price will first have to be greatly reduced - but due to the absence of customs costs, this will be advisable.
Olive oil production
If you have established the production of olives harvested from your own garden, it is worth considering the production of the noblest of vegetable oils (and one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive). Olive is a word derived from the word for "oil" in Western languages (English oil, German Öl, Spanish óleo are the same root as the word "olive"). Olive - Russian education, tracing paper by analogy (olive - oil). Already in word formation, the main purpose of the olive is clear - obtaining vegetable oil. It takes 5 to 5.5 kilograms of olives to produce one liter of oil. That is, from the above calculated yield, one thousand liters of oil of the highest quality can be obtained.
All olive oil is divided into categories, and several liters are obtained from these five kilograms, but only the first pomace from the fruit will be the most valuable. The following products turn out to be of much lower quality, and therefore cheaper, but they are also sold, and profits increase. Completely stripped and mixed into porridge, olives are sent to feed livestock, for which you can also earn money. The cost of a liter of quality oil is 600 rubles, and then the income from it will be 600 thousand rubles. If we add to this the sale of subsequent products up to oilcake, it turns out that the production of oil is even more profitable than the sale of fresh fruits.
To engage in such a business, you need to purchase the appropriate equipment. But first, the harvested olives are cleaned of branches, leaves and other plant debris; for this, special devices have been created that blow off these excesses from the harvested crop. Such a “fan” is also worth buying if you do not plan to produce oil, because no one wants to buy even fresh fruits that are not cleaned of garbage. Once peeled, the olives are washed with water before being sent to a hydraulic press.
In some regions of Italy, oil is still obtained in the old way - with the help of mills, but there is special equipment, which can do it much faster and better. Under the press, the olives go through three stages of pomace, during which three varieties of oil are obtained and the oilcake freed from it. "Cold" pressing allows you to save all the useful qualities of the oil, because in the absence of heat treatment many important trace elements are not destroyed. After all this, the oil passes through the separator, if filters were not installed in the press - this is necessary to eliminate all suspensions and to obtain the purest oil. The Chinese manufacturer, invariably pleasing with its prices, offers such an installation for a price approximately equal to 200 thousand rubles. Thus, with optimal development and good harvest It is possible to recoup all expenses for the organization of olive cultivation in the first year.
Of course, there are too many difficulties in this type of business, as well as many risks. Of those not yet noted in this article, one can name the risk of not selling their products due to the banal distrust of consumers in olives produced in Russia. Still, people want the inscription “Ελαιόλαδο” to flaunt on the label of a bottle of olive oil, which is incomprehensible and not even readable, but it says that the product is certainly of high quality (the set of these hieroglyphs is translated from Greek as “Olive oil”) . Convince people that Russia can produce good olives and good oil they will not turn out right away, and it will take a long time to find buyers and, quite likely, greatly reduce the price of the product. But growing olives is a new, and most importantly, quite real business for Russia.
Matthias Laudanum
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