Old Olive Trees in Pots

The ones in the garden of Gethsemane have been dated to around a 1000 years, but that doesn't mean they weren't cut down then to regenerate them, so they may well be older

Gethsemane means Oil Press in Amaraic, the language Jesus would have spoken.

 

I've had this olive for 5 years growing in a pot outside. Generally been happy. It has has some yellowing leaves, but I think it is wind damage.





Some of the branches have become a bit straggly though - I need to train it a bit. This cost me £20 and is a bit skinny. Cannot afford the £500 ones, oh well, may have to wait a few centuries for it to thicken up

 

I've seen these old olive trees for sale, in pots, at stupid prices.
Along with Pomegranate and a carob trees.

I'm guessing similar to the treeferns we get from Tasmania, they are plants that are being grubbed out to make room for people.

I tend to think the olives stand a chance, also the pomegranates, but my experience of Carob is that it is not very hardy and will only survive in a pretty sheltered position.

 

To correct myself, I believe they are two huge tractor tyres. Will have t'other half take a pic next time we are there.

 

My trees are not old, only about five years old, and believe me growing them in New York has been a challenge. I just repotted Pierre and moved him to the deck closest to the house. Earlier he was loaded with olives, to the point that I bought pickling salt and was looking up ways to preserve them. The tree was on the upper deck in full sun, but then the deer stopped by and removed most of the olives and the ends of the branches. He has been close to the house for a few weeks and the remaining olives are still there, so I doubt the deer will come this close to the house, hopefully. Pierre is a Picholine olive. I will probably get a hernia moving him back to the house for the winter.

 

Back to the big old olive trees in pots: I was talking to a gardener friend of mine yesterday who lived in Italy for 10 years. I asked her opinion about these large trees being uprooted and put in big pots. She said it made her sad to see them like this but added that they are probably dug up either because they are not very productive, for whatever reason, and owners want to plant a better variety, or the land they were growing on is due to be built on. Either way I guess it gives them a second chance.

 

Glad i'm not the only one that's named their olive tree @hydrogardener

Flowers are opening on Boris

 

I call mine Olive, my mothers name, although she was called Maggie mostly.

 

This is our standard olive tree 5 years old . We call it Maya's tree , as sadly our black cocker Maya died the weekend we bought it .

 

I got mine free with an order a few years ago, it lived on the windowsill for ages and then I took it outside - up here in the North I thought it would be done for, but still going "strong" ! Probably needs a bigger pot really, might do that now

 

Today I picked about 120 small olives from my two young trees, enough to fill a jam jar. I’m going to process them and hopefully they’ll be ready to eat by around Christmas.