Olive trees in pots leaning

Hi all,

I have 3 olive trees in pots that I had the fortune to be given a couple of years ago. Unfortunately the 2 larger ones never seem to want to stay upright! The root of both of them seem to be ”loose” for want of a better word.

I'm not sure what the medium is that they were planted in, but if it was just a regular compost, would that be less secure for the roots? Should i replace the medium with topsoil or a John Innes 3 mixed 50/50 with grit? The soil they are in seems to be quite gritty, maybe theres too much grit which is making the soil too loose? I’m assuming i shouldn’t be planting it any deeper that it already is.

Thanks all.

 

Looking at the last picture I can see the large tree in the background also leans into the same direction. Maybe your area is more exposed to wind from a certain direction.
I would think that the pot is too small for the tree of that height.

 

I think you need to repot them and straighten them up in the process.
Depending on root growth you may need slightly bigger pots.
Use a soil based compost, less likely to slump which appears to have happened.

A bit of careful pruning might help reduce wind resistance, or perhaps resite them some where different.

 

When you repot @latimer, try to remove as much of the old compost as you can without damaging the roots and repot with John Innes No 3 with 20% added horticultural grit. Straighten the trunk when repotting, raise the top of the compost up in the pot so that its is a couple of inches below the rim and cover those exposed surface roots, but no more of the trunk. While the tree is recovering I would support it with a tree stake and rubber tie for a while until the roots grow to provide more stability. You could also put the pot in a less exposed location if you have one.

 

Regarding staking I've never found actually staking in the pot to be any use, if you want to stake I would do it with two short stakes either side of the pot and a horizontal to tie the stem to about 18ins above pot top..

May not look great though, but the only practical way to do it with a pot plant in a windy position.

Having said that, how about doing away with the pots entirely and planting in the ground.

 

After what you say @pete, I've also thought that with a stake in the pot the tree might become a sail and more likely to blow over. I'd relocate the pot into a sheltered, sunny site.

 

They look as if the compost has compacted or settled (or rotted down further in situ - that happens with some peat-free composts). I agree they need repotting with fresh compost. I prefer soil-based for longer-term planting (soil-less is fine for bedding plants, hanging baskets, bulbs etc that won't be in there for more than a season or two).

 

Thanks everyone!

I’ll give them a go with a repot and see how they get on this year. I don’t really have anywhere sheltered and sunny I can put them so I’ll leave them where they are for this year and if it doesn’t improve they might need a new home. Let’s see.