What time of year do olive trees produce fruit?

Trees should begin producing fruit at about three to five years old. It will grow throughout the summer and autumn and ripen in mid-winter. The olives may be picked when green but are fully ripe when they turn black and begin to drop from the branches.

People also ask, how often do olive trees produce fruit?

Young and Bitter. If you've provided your olive tree with a happy home, it will begin to bear fruit when it's around five years old. Bear in mind, however, that it's perfectly normal for olive trees to produce fruit only every other year, or to produce alternating heavy and light crops from year to year.

Similarly, do olive trees produce every year? Why do olive trees only produce fruit every 2 years (is there a scientific name for this?) Answer: Some varieties of olives will alternate year bear if left to their own devices. This can be prevented by proper fertilizing, pruning and culling.

In this way, what season do olive trees bear fruit?

'Arbequina' and 'Koroneiki' begin fruiting at an early age (about 3 years). Other cultivars do not make fruit until they are five to twelve years old. Most olive cultivars will not produce fruit without a pollinator tree of a different cultivar.

Why is my olive tree not fruiting?

Pollination Problems Olives are generally considered "self-fertile," meaning they do not require the pollen of another tree in order to set fruit. Because the trees are wind-pollinated, heavy rain during the flowering period can prevent pollination from occurring.

39 Related Question Answers Found

Can you eat olives straight from the tree?

Olives, like many other kinds of produce such as potatoes and sour cherries, just aren't something that you eat raw. Unprocessed, straight off the tree, they are bitter, very bitter, and the green ones even more so than ones which have fully ripened to black.

Do you need 2 olive trees to fruit?

Many varieties of olive trees require cross-pollination but most the varieties that we sell do not because they are self pollinating or self-fruitful. They need another tree or sometimes two other trees for pollination, not of the same variety, but a different variety of the same fruit.

How do I know when olives are ripe?

Most olives are ready to harvest when the juice turns cloudy, at the “green ripe” stage in late September. They ripen to an uneven reddish-brown through November, finally darkening to the “naturally black ripe” stage by early December. Olives in this stage have a high oil content and are easily bruised.

How do you process olives for eating?

Place the olives in a glass storage container. Mix 6 tablespoons pickling salt in a gallon of water and pour it over the olives to cover them. Let the olives cure for a week, at which point they're ready to eat. Store the olives in the refrigerator in their brine for up to a few weeks.

How do you encourage olive trees to fruit?

To promote flowering and growing olives, as well as general tree growth, top dress with a general high nitrogen fertiliser (ideally slow-release) in early Spring. This should be applied around the base of the tree. Continue to feed every few weeks throughout the growing season with either Vitax Q4 or seaweed extract.

What is the average lifespan of an olive tree?

500 years

How often do you water olive trees?

Water an establishing olive tree once weekly for the first year or anytime the top 2” of soil becomes dry. After an olive tree is established, deep watering once monthly is sufficient.

Do Olive flowers turn into olives?

Flowers are of two types: perfect, containing both male and female parts, which are capable of developing into the olive fruits; and male, which contain only the pollen-producing parts. The olive is wind-pollinated.

How do I care for an olive tree?

Olive trees require a well-drained soil and a sunny position. Avoid sites where water stands during rainy periods or where ground water seeps into a hole two feet deep. Do not, however, confuse the olive for a desert plant. It needs regular watering to thrive.

How much space does an olive tree need?

The trees are planted 5ft by 13ft (1.5m by 4.0m) apart in high vigor sites to 4ft by 12ft (1.2 by 3.6m) apart in low vigor sites. Only highly self-fruitful, precocious varieties will fruit under the conditions of close spacing and heavy pruning.

What to feed olive trees in pots?

Although they can cope with dry periods, olives in containers need regular watering and feeding to produce fruit. During the growing season, keep the compost moist and feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser such as Phostrogen, every month.

Are olives good for you?

Olives are very high in vitamin E and other powerful antioxidants. Studies show that they are good for the heart and may protect against osteoporosis and cancer. The healthy fats in olives are extracted to produce olive oil, one of the key components of the incredibly healthy Mediterranean diet.

How long does it take to grow olives?

seven to eight years

What do black olives taste like?

Green olives are seldom eaten without being in a brine of some nature. They take in the whatever flavor the brine has. Black olives are similar, though my daughter loves them straight from the can! Just raw olives tend to have a bitter taste.

How do you prune an olive tree?

To prune an olive tree, choose a time either in late spring or early summer and make sure your tree is at least 3-4 feet tall before pruning. Choose 3-4 strong lateral branches to form your main shape and make slanted cuts to remove branches.

Why are my olives so small?

Shotberries are thought to be a pollination issue but are usually caused by adverse weather conditions during flowering/pollination process. Usually, during a hot/dry spell or on the other hand a cool/wet spell can also have this effect.

How do I know what kind of olive tree I have?

All olives start green and pass through shades of brown, reddish-purple, and black. The color of the olive is an indication of how ripe the olive was when harvested. The riper the olive, the darker in color it will be. Ripeness also affects the flavor and texture of the olive.