Olive tree in a pot: care and wintering

Olive trees in pots spread Mediterranean flair in the garden. We show how to care for olive trees in pots and what is important when it comes to overwintering.

olive trees (Olea europea) are used to the dry, warm climate of the Mediterranean region. Although they are so robust that they can also thrive in this country, they suffer in winter due to the cold and wet conditions that prevail here. So that the olive tree can quickly move to its winter quarters, cultivation in a pot is optimal. So you can react quickly to the wet and cold weather. In addition, as a slow-growing tree, the olive is just the right thing for long-term and easy-care container planting.

Olive tree in a pot: the right location

When most people think of potted plants, they tend to think of pretty little houseplants. But an olive tree wants to go outside and enjoy fresh air for as long as possible throughout the year. Olives do not grow as well indoors and quickly shed their leaves due to the lack of light. So in summer it's time to get outside. The chosen location in the garden or on the balcony should be in full sun and not too drafty. The pot is rotated regularly so that all parts of the branch get enough sun. Choose the location carefully, as this largely determines the later well-being of your olive tree. In winter, the olive tree needs winter protection, but it should not hibernate in a warm house. Some exposure to cold is important for the normal development of the tree. The type of soil used for the olive tree in the pot is also important for healthy plant development. Olive trees need a permeable, structurally rich substrate in the bucket.

Caring for an olive tree in a pot

Proper care of the plants is particularly important for olive trees in pots. Otherwise, disease or pest infestation can occur very quickly. But if you keep the following, you will have many years of pleasure with your olive:

• Watering: Occasionally, the substrate may dry out on the surface; Avoid waterlogging.
• Fertilizer: From 2 years, March to August, every 2 weeks with liquid fertilizer in the irrigation water; Basic fertilization when repotting with primarily organic granular fertilizer.
• Earth: Structurally stable, permeable; Garden soil mixed with potting soil, clay granules and sand.
• Repotting: Olive trees should be repotted regularly, young plants at least every 2 years, older ones at least every 5 years. If repotting becomes impossible due to increasing size, the choice of a perfect growing medium and good fertilization is all the more important.
• Pruning: In spring as described below.

To avoid waterlogging, a drainage layer of gravel or potsherds is laid out at the bottom of the pot. Otherwise, root rot will quickly occur. In addition, only pots with a drainage hole should be used so that excess water can drain off easily. To ensure optimal water drainage, place the pot on small feet and not directly on the surface or a saucer.

A liquid fertilizer such as ours is suitable for fertilizing the olive tree in the bucket Plantura Organic Citrus & Mediterranean Fertilizer optimal. It reliably supplies the olive plant with important nutrients and strengthens its resistance to drought, pests and frost. It also ensures vital root growth. You can find out how to properly fertilize the olive tree in our special article on the subject Fertilize olive tree.

Cut olive tree in pot

Olive trees can be pruned as a shrub or tree. Younger plants naturally grow sparsely and should therefore be pruned more frequently - i.e. undergo a training pruning. This way the plant will branch out more and form a true crown or dense bush.

Once the correct shape is achieved, it is cultivated with the maintenance pruning. Shoots that are too long are simply shortened to side shoots or cut off at their origin on a stronger branch - stubs should not be left standing. In addition, crossing shoots are cut off. If there are two branches crossing, remove the weaker one. This is especially true inside the bush, because the olive tree should not grow too densely either.
By the way: Old and large, healthy olive trees can easily be pruned back very much in order to be rejuvenated.

Small cuts can be made at any time. However, spring is best, because here the tree has rested from the winter break and has enough energy for a strong new shoot. How exactly your Cut back olive tree, you can find out in our special article.

Repot an olive tree

Olive trees in pots take a lot of time to grow - especially if they are not repotted regularly. So if you want to go from a small to a large olive tree quickly, you should repot into high-quality soil annually at first and then every 2 to 3 years. At the latest when the roots grow out of the bottom of the pot, it is time for a larger pot. Carefully remove the tree from the planter and treat it to a slightly larger home with fresh soil. Tips and tricks on how to make your Repot an olive tree, can be found in the appropriate special article.

But one thing can already be revealed here: if you save on the right soil, you tend to have more problems with pests, diseases and growth depression of your olive tree in the pot. Good olive soils are structurally stable, not too rich in nutrients and allow water to drain off well. A little green lime can be added to soil that is a little too acidic: olive trees love a pH value of 7 to 8.

notice: Olive trees are often in the wrong soil when they are bought or sometimes even harbor pests in them. Therefore, it is best to repot newly purchased olive trees right away.

Hibernate the olive tree in a bucket

Olive trees are only conditionally hardy. This means that you don't mind a slightly frosty night. However, longer periods of frost and the wet, cold weather of our domestic winters are too much for the Mediterranean plants. At the latest when the earth in the pot freezes through, the dream of having your own olive grove is over. In order for your trees to survive the winter, you need proper winter protection. To do this, just wrap the pot in newspaper or bubble wrap and let your potted olives move to a sheltered, frost-free but bright winter quarters.

Don't put the tree in a heated house, because olives don't like it too warm in winter either. They need temperatures around freezing point and the associated hibernation to gather strength for spring budding and also to induce flower buds. That's right: If you overwinter olives too warm, you do so at the expense of plentiful flowering. Since the plants are dormant, they are not fertilized in winter and only watered very sparingly. The trees come back outside when no longer periods of frost are to be expected - around the end of March. But keep a jute sack ready for protection when frost is announced.

More tips about Wintering of olive trees you'll find here.

Buying an olive tree in a pot: you should pay attention to this

Olive trees are becoming more and more popular with us because of the Mediterranean flair that they exude. The range in garden centres, DIY stores and online plant mail order companies is correspondingly large. However, the quality can also vary greatly. If you want to be on the safe side, buy your olive tree from a specialist dealer or a specialist tree nursery that specializes in Mediterranean plants. Choose a variety from the northern part of the Mediterranean that is as cold-tolerant as possible. The more resilient the tree, the less work and risks the winter at home entails.

tip: However, if the tree is declared as fully hardy, don't touch it. The information cannot correspond to the truth and makes the seller appear dubious.

Especially in the year after purchase, make sure not to exhaust the winter hardiness typical of the variety and rather play it safe with good winter protection. Ensure a good supply of potassium in late summer, for example with our liquid Plantura Organic Citrus & Mediterranean Fertilizer. Especially the cheaper olive trees are often cultivated in warm climates and with plenty of fertilizer and for this reason are far less hardy than they could or should be.

Are exotic potted plants your thing? Two other elegant exotics are the fig tree (Ficus carica) and the Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), both of which should also be cultivated in tubs. In summer they delight us with their Mediterranean flair, in winter they can hibernate together with the olive tree.