Help My Olive Trees

Last winter almost killed my two Olive trees, one recovered well the other is struggling with some new growth but a slow death on most branches. Winter is coming and frosts again. I have tied up both my trees now, pulling branches together. The most healthy I have covered in cling film, and the other with polythene sheeting. But my better half tells me that I will kill them doing that as they did to breath and it will stop photosynthesis.

Am I doing the wroing thing, and how do I protect them from frost?

 

I think you are over reacting slightly.
The kind of frost we get around now is unlikely to damage them.

Severe winter frost can kill them, but I'd not use clingfilm or polythene, it will trap moisture and the branches will rot.

Some layers of fleece applied in mid December might be needed, but you need to react to the weather, you cant just wrap something up for 6 months and expect it to be ok.

 

overreacting "slightly"

Pete, thanks for the reply and the tact. So I guess I should let them free tomorrow.
My mum has just phoned me to say the same thing. I'm a bit worried about wind though, is the fleece stuff, like a blanket, I like in a rural area at a top of a hill surrounded by fields with little shelter.

Additionally mum reckons the trees should be okay tied, but not wrapped, would you agree?

 

Well you can tie them if you want, they might be a bit misshapen when you untie them though.

The fleece is fairly thin, but you can use as many layers as you like within reason.
I think you can buy fleece bags that stand a better chance of staying in place.
I'm not sure what part of the country you are in, but I'd suggest, you might just be pushing the boundaries a bit far as regards the hardiness of olive.
Some protection from freezing winds etc. is best provided by other shrubs.

 

Pete told me to bring mine in during a -15c frost last winter & its doing fine now.

Cheers Pete

 

Thanks Pete,(err and Ziggy), Dont think I'll be bringing indoors though, they are 3 metres high and not it pots.

 

Hi Guys, Mine was only covered with fleece last year and I have loads of small olives on it now. They can take temperatures up to -6c so if you use that as a guide you wont go far wrong. My orleander stands next to it and to a degree they protect each other as I cover them up together. Fleece throughout the day in frosty weather as it lets both daylight and rain in but then at night I throw a light blanket over them when it is severely cold. Hope this helps.

 

Fleece it is then, I wondering if one of them had root damage from the frost too, will fleece help here too?

 

I would make sure that the soil is not going to be too wet around the roots, this would kill an olive in the winter - i have some in Italy, and they survive mountain cold weather at 500 metres, but are on a south facing slope, so water runs off easily and they get the sun at every opportunity. We have still lost some smaller ones though. We also make sure there is nothing (i.e grass) at the base as this could take nutrients away from the tree. A good mulch may be of help for over winter.

Mind you in the UK and if we have long lasting temperatures like last year...

 

Certainly if you have them in the ground GI I would mulch up really well. Mine is still in a large pot as is the Orleander and I make sure the pots are well wrapped round warm with something like bubble wrap. Good luck.

 

my local tesco has 4-5 foot olive trees (with olives) for £5 .... they were not there yesterday, so must have just received them

first thought they were silk plants but they are real ..

 

Tesco are renowned for selling Olives for some reason. A local small branch (metro!?) occasionally stocks them even though they never sell any other plants.

 

If my local Tesco has 4-5 ft Olives for £5, I will definitely be getting some, but should I keep them indoors until spring?

 

Yes keep any new acquisition in a frost free area as you do not know if they are "hardened" off.

My olive came through last year outdoors ,but in a pot. I covered the top with a fleece bag ,purchased from "Wilkos" they have a drawstring round the bottom to prevent being blown away in wind ,so you could get them over your tree. :yess:


The biggest danger with overwintering is waterlogging ,if it`s in a pot place a brick under the pot so it can drain ,otherwise if it fills up with water, you could get a lollipop, where the water freezes just like a lollipop and the roots die.