Olive tree gets brown leaf tips: this helps with brown leaves

An olive tree in your own home or in your own garden brings Mediterranean flair with its silvery-grey leaves. The olive tree, lat. Olea auropaea is one of the most undemanding pot plants. If the tree gets brown leaf tips, the cause must be found quickly to avoid serious damage. Mistakes in maintenance are usually the cause. Therefore, the maintenance measures must be checked.

It all depends on the right swell

If the plant does not have enough nutrients, the tree first shows this on the tips of the leaves, which turn brown. Over-fertilization can also be the reason for brown leaf tips. Potted olive trees often suffer from nutrient deficiencies. The fertilizer applied in liquid form is flushed out again. If there is a nutrient deficiency, you should counteract the deficiency with an appropriate fertilizer. A commercial citrus fertilizer works best for this.

If there is over-fertilization, proceed as follows:

• Take the plant out of the pot
• Remove roots from soil
• fill fresh substrate in pot
• insert plant
• don't fertilize for the next few weeks

The right place

Choosing the wrong location can cause brown leaf tips on your tree. The tropical plant needs full sun. Midday sun is not a problem. A place on the south side in the garden or on the balcony is ideal.
The following rules will help you to choose the right location:

• Remove plant from shade or transplant
• choose a sunny location
• use a plant lamp if there is a lack of light in winter
• Remove plants or objects that provide shade or transplant plants

A black pot can quickly overheat the roots. The pot should be wrapped white. Covering the substrate with white balls protects the roots from too much heat.

Not too much water

The tree, which originates from tropical regions, does not cope quite well with dry periods. The roots of the olive trees root in deeper layers and can absorb moisture. Too much water causes waterlogging. The tree shows brown leaf tips. The result is root rot, which can also spread to the trunk.

If the soil of your plant is also wet on the surface, it is waterlogged. Waterlogging can also be recognized by the fact that there is water in the collecting plate.
In the event of waterlogging, proceed as follows:

• Take plant out of pot
• Remove soil from roots
• remove rotten roots
• Allow the root ball to dry
• clean pot
• Mix the substrate with dry sand or gravel and put it in the pot
• insert plant

The tree should not be planted again until the roots have dried sufficiently. The new planting should take place in a fresh and sufficiently permeable substrate.

The right watering

Don't water your olive tree too often. When watering, you should observe the following rules:

• only water when the soil has dried on the surface
• Half an hour after watering, remove the water from the catch plate
• In case of heavy rainfall, move the plant to a rain-protected location
• do not use a plant pot without holes
• Mix sand or gravel into the soil

Roots that are too dry also occur, but very rarely. Should this happen to you anyway, take the plant out of the pot and leave the root ball in the water for a few minutes. Then put the plant back in the pot in a fresh substrate.

The ideal winter quarters

If an olive tree is brought indoors at the beginning of winter, the tips of the leaves often discolour. If there are only a few leaves, this is quite normal. If many leaves change color and fall off, the winter location must be checked. If your olive tree stays outside over the winter, it should be covered with plant fleece. Twig mats are best suited for the trunk. A thick layer of mulch protects the roots from the cold. The tree can be watered on frost-free days. With our temperatures, wintering in the garden is not recommended.

The following measures should be considered when choosing a location for the winter:

• sunny and warm location
• use plant lamps if necessary
• protect against wind while airing with translucent film
• set up a humidifier or bowl with water if the air humidity is low

Be careful when cutting back

Brown leaf tips can also be a disease. Bacteria can penetrate well if the trunk of the tree was damaged during pruning or if dirty tools were used.

If your tree is already infested with bacteria, remove the infested branches and twigs and protect the entry point from further invaders. You can wrap the area with a cloth.

Avoiding waterlogging prevents fungal attack

Fungi usually appear in connection with waterlogging. Mushrooms multiply particularly well in a warm, humid environment. To fix the waterlogging, proceed as described above. Waterlogging also occurs with olive trees outdoors in winter. Plant fleece is used here for winter protection, under which waterlogging often occurs. It is important that enough air can circulate under the fleece.

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