Year round olive growth?

zen

I have a little olive that I am curious as to wether I can bring indoors and treat as a tropical, in an attempt to continue growth through the winter season.
If this IS an option, do you guys think keeping it in a humidity rich environment will help to speed growth at all,...I know that some say with olives to let the soil become almost dry between waterings,...so are they humidity haters, or just like to have a bit of fresh air touch their roots from time to time?
Thanks in advance for any help that you guys can offer.
Jeremy

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RedPine

They aren't to big on frost, they will/do thrive the full year in an indoor set up/greenhouse for winter. My personal advice is to watch the overwatering when you bring them inside, they are pretty intolerant of wet feet. I gave mine away to the disabled feller downstairs as they were just to small but I did overwinter them indoors before that. Letting them go dry was the way.

RonMartin(deceased)

A lot of the answer to that depends on what kind of olive you have. Some will tolerate indoors and some will not.

The bucida spinosa and bucida bucers are among the ones that will tolerate indoors.

Almost looks like you might have the spinosa but can’t be sure of that. Which variety do you actually have. It makes a big difference in the answer you will get.
Also remember you are using the common name (and only a part of that) A whole lot of totally different plants are called "olives"

Repotter

Bucida Spinosa and Bucida Burcera are not true olives but are tropicals and want to be damp and indoors is fine.

Yours looks like the Olea Europa which is a true olive. I have several and keep them indoors in the greenhouse for the winter, outdoors for the summer.

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RedPine

I assumed these were BB9 Euro olive seedlings, from the same parent tree mine came from. They did well inside with a forgetful water habit.

zen

You asumed correctlly Redpine,...they are the same. Thanks for the advice fellas, I will bring this one in, I will however leave the other 7 that I am attempting to fuse outdoors,...but will put it on the ground and cover with mulch, just like I did last winter. Thanks again ya'll.

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"Although profoundly "inconsequential," the Zen experience has consequences in the sense that it may be applied in any direction, to any conceivable human activity, and that wherever it is so applied it lends an unmistakable quality to the work."

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davidryan820

I keep mine indoors over winter and it hasn't phased them a bit. The growth is not quite as vigorous but I don't want it to be so this time of year. As for the watering-- I let me go completely dry before giving a healthy dose of water but I do not drench the soil-- just enough to make it moist again.

My trees (two) are in a window sill that gets light the entire time the sun is up-- but that means there isn't a full day of light as it is January. However, the trees have responded appropriately, I think, and have slowed their growth. Their foliage seems very healthy, though, so I guess my "technique" is working.

Normally when it is finally safe and will remain above freezing outside, I take them outside in part shade and slowly bring them into full light. They usually have a rush of growth after that. I try to simulate what these trees would get if they were in their native habitat as best I can.

jfecme

Mine, a rather large trunked one, stays indoors in middle Ga. during winter and outdoors after frost through summer and fall. It is under grow lights 13 hours a day inside.

I water it very sparingly every 7 to 10 days. Its soil is mostly medium Granigrit with some Turface and organic soil amendment. Very free flowing. Also requires a little more fertilization than other trees as a result.

Biggest problem: All those little suckers that come up by the numbers around the base. I have been successful in taking them as cuttings and some rooting.

These are Mediterranean in origin, in places where the warm jet stream and dry weather enhances their habitat. They like it that way.

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