Olive Trees

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Growing Olive Trees Olive trees are extremely tough and withstand the searing Mediterranean heat, drought, fire, and temperatures as low as 19 degrees for short periods each winter. In the United States, some olive trees can be grown outside as far north as the Zone 7 growing zone. Regardless of your location, Olive trees can be grown in pots and brought indoors during the winter and returned to the outdoors in the Spring. Olive trees prefer to be planted in well-drained soil in a hot, sunny area of the landscape. They are evergreen trees that flourish in hot, dry areas and will not do well in soil that remains wet during the winter. During all times of the year, expect to receive olive trees that are actively growing with soft new growth sprouting from the tips. Most olive trees take about three years to mature and begin to set noticeable amounts of fruit. To increase the fruit set on these trees, it is recommended that you plant more than one olive tree close together. In the Mediterranean region, olive trees are spaced 20 feet apart to accommodate their eventual width, but there is no strict rule spacing. When planted in the US, olive trees do not reach their full-size potential so you can space them closer together but remember that Olea Europaea plants can reach up to 15 feet tall. Cross-pollination also increases the overall fruit crop so planting a few next to each other might be your best bet. If you want to grow more of your own food, visit our Fruit and Nut Trees Page. Planting Olive Trees in the Ground Olive trees are easy to grow if you follow a few guidelines. Planting Olive trees in the ground is the same as most other fruit trees. Select a location in the full sun Step 1: Water the Olive tree thoroughly while it is in the pot. Water until you see the water running out of the bottom of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. This ensures that the entire rootball is full of water before planting. An extremely dry rootball can pull moisture from the