Articles | Home Page | Images | Order Form | Plant Catalog | Tool Catalog |
In the Bible, Noah, after the Deluge, saw a dove with an olive branch in its mouth like the symbol of peace between God and men. Olive is present in many books of Hebrew, Phoenician, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman authors. Pliny the elder in his Natural history (Naturalis historia-37 volumes-died in 79 A.D. because he approached too closely to the Vesuvius eruption at Pompeii) distinguished 15 varieties of olive. In the parable, Judges book (9: 8-9) one reads: As the trees set out to consecrate one tree as their king, they said to the Olive, "Reign thou over us" and the Olive answered, "Should I leave my [oil], wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?"
In youth, olive sprouts a second generation of roots that increase in proportion to the number of trunks. The crown is often unpleasantly enlarged with one or many great roots, while fine roots are deeper.This stage can occur in only one year with an air-layer of the trunk.
In maturity, olive stops to sprout deep roots and also grows out many fine superficial roots. The trunk loses its cylindrical shape, while bark becomes smooth to rugose and cracked. From this point it can live 800 to 1,000 years with a stately appearance.
Pinching differs according bud colors and age of the tree and the cycle of growth. The new buds and stems are usually green, violet or tan. In young trees, one cuts to the first or third set of leaves, according to the direction of the buds. When stems turn from violet to tan it will grow only a few more buds. With young and old trees, you pinch when the branch is still green or is almost violet, eliminating last couple of leaves. Also pinch out leaves and buds that grow downward . Stop pinching if the temperature is down to 10C (50F) or up 40C (104F). By pinching in this fashion you will have smaller leaves and shorter internodes. Generally, almost all the leaves that are on green stems ramify less than half as much as those on the violet stems.
Wire young trees and stems that are only 2-3 years old. Wire carefully from late fall to spring, and only as necessary to control the branches, olive wood is soft and easily damaged. In aged trees, wire is applied to older branches, but it is good idea to use raffia during dormancy.
Water thoroughly, but to let it go dry after each watering, but not too much. My olive is watered a lot, but in each case, this depends on light, wind, humidity, and exposure. Olive prefers to be in full sun.
Feed with organic food with slow transfer, but use a normal feeding like others trees. It is also important to add trace elements at least once a year. This can be done with the use of a complete fertilizer with trace elements, or trace elements by themselves in time release form.
All styles, except formal upright and exposed roots, may be used. But employ no jin or shari because the wood cracks and decays quickly.
Pests and diseases include green aphids (especially if you have ants), red spiders mites, anthracnose, and Pseudomonas savastanoi.
copyright 1996 all rights reserved