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Olive Tree in a pot??

15 years ago

I have a young Mission Olive tree, currently about two feet tall in an 18-inch plastic pot. There are plenty of drainage holes, as excess rainfall can be a problem here (Central Florida).

From all of you more experienced olive-growers,

I need to know whether this variety of olive is suitable for growing in a pot. If so, what size and type of pot should I have? Are there any special cultural considerations? Pruning?

Somehow I was thinking that I should use a clay or stone pot, and that it should be bigger... at least 24 inches. But I'm not sure. What do you think?

Thanks!

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Comments (3)

redneck_grower
15 years ago
You can grow any tree in a container, provided you pay attention to soil consituents, watering and fertilizing regimens, and top and root pruning.

I've not grown olives in containers, but I've seen many nice specimens in containers. My guess is that olives are very tolerant of root disturbance, as I have seen many gnarled, aged orchard specimens removed from commercial stands and shipped on trucks for landscape plantings. Being tolerant of root disturbance can be an important attribute of a container-grown tree.

I'm sure you'll get some nice advice specifically geared to the olive. However, you can begin your reading here, Trees in Containers.

Cheers!
the_musicman
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for your response and for that link. Very helpful stuff! I'm trying to decide if I should stay with a container, and what level of maintenance olives will require in a pot; or if I should try and find a spot for the tree in the ground. Just in case I somehow become neglectful...
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I'm no expert on growing olives in containers but it sounds as though "wet feet" might be the cause of the leaf loss. Olives like very good drainage and are drought resistant. Perhaps the potting medium retains a little too much moisture. Try giving it less water and perhaps a little more often and don't have the container standing in a saucer. Did find this US site which gives information on growing olive trees in a container and hope you find it useful. Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/growing-olive-tree.html
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redneck_grower
15 years ago
Maybe post your query over at the CONTAINER GARDENING forum. There are some real knowledgable people over there. I'm guessing you'll need to perform an annual top/root prune, replacing soil at the same time. A fast draining soil would be in order. Or, you might be able to just pot-up until you have reached a container size that's too large.

Good luck!

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