Q&A for How to Prune an Olive Tree

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  • Question
    What do you feed olive trees?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    The best fertilizer for olive trees is a nitrogen-based fertilizer given every spring.
  • Question
    Why are the leaves falling off my olive tree?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    The two most common reasons for leaves to be falling off is over or under watering. Only water when the soil is dry to touch.
  • Question
    Do olive trees grow in pots?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Yes, they can grow in pots, but potted trees need to be watered and fertilized more often than a tree planted in the ground.
  • Question
    How do you trim an avocado tree?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Trimming an avocado tree can be done by simply removing the tallest branch each year to reduce the height and removing dead and decaying branches or foliage. It is best to trim in late winter or early spring.
  • Question
    My 20yr old olive tree is getting yellow/brown leaves? Help is it sick?
    Allison Batera Sullivan
    Community Answer
    These branches may be dying and should be pruned to give your tree more energy for its healthy branches. If your entire tree is getting yellow and brown leaves, it may be sick from overwatering or poor soil drainage. Make sure that the soil around your tree does not stay damp from puddles very long after rain.
  • Question
    How do I prune it to grow bushier?
    Susan Butler
    Community Answer
    Most olive varieties produce a heavy crop every other year and this helps to even out the fruit production. Prune off suckers, as they rob the canopy of water and nutrients. Remove dead, damaged or crossing branches. If the tree is overgrown, reduce the main leaders by about a quarter.
  • Question
    We have a wall of olives, more like a bush. Any special restriction on pruning?
    Allison Batera Sullivan
    Community Answer
    The branches lower to the ground may not be producing fruit anymore, so you can prune these branches. Also prune vertical branches that are crowding the interior of the plant. Aim for a martini-glass shape, with the trunk being the glass stem, and around 4 strong lateral branches working out from that.
  • Question
    How do you prune an olive tree?
    Drew Hawkins1
    Community Answer
    Use a pair of sharp, clean pruning shears to prevent spreading disease to the tree. Make slanted cuts flush with the branches to clip off small shoots and branches to give your olive tree a martini glass shape. For thicker branches, use a hand saw, but dip it into isopropyl alcohol for 30 seconds to disinfect it.
  • Question
    What time of year do you prune olive trees?
    Drew Hawkins1
    Community Answer
    To minimize the damage to your olive tree, prune it only once a year in the late spring or early summer. The ideal time is to prune it before it's about to begin its new growth for the year. If your location starts getting warmer around late spring, then that's the best time for you to prune your olive tree. Because olive trees grow slowly, pruning once a year is more than enough.
  • Question
    Should I prune my olive tree?
    Drew Hawkins1
    Community Answer
    Yes, some maintenance pruning can help your olive tree produce more fruit and encourage healthy new growth. However, olive trees grow slowly and pruning can increase the chance of infection, so pruning them once a year in the late spring or early summer is enough to keep them healthy.
  • Question
    Many of the branches are curving to the ground. Should they be cut off? I have been putting off pruning my tree as I am not sure how to do it. Is there something different about olive trees?
    Community Answer
    You're lucky ! That's the way it should be; but don't let the branches touch the ground as they can be contaminated by ground soil and other critters that climb up on them.
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