Olive Growing Methods and Key Points of Cultivation and Management Techniques
The olive is a tropical fruit tree with considerable nutritional and medicinal value, and it also has a very wide range of uses, being edible, medicinal, and usable for oil, among others. The olive branch also carries great symbolic meaning, making it a relatively auspicious fruit tree to grow. So how should olives be grown? Now follow along with the editor to learn the olive growing methods.
1. Site Selection
The olive is a warmth-loving plant, and the average annual temperature suitable for its growth must reach at least 20 degrees or above. Under such conditions the olive yield will be better. Of course, it is also a relatively cold-tolerant plant and can survive in an environment of minus three degrees, but it does not survive for very long. It has strong adaptability to soil, and can be planted in any soil as long as it is not overly clayey. However, the best planting site is sandy soil, and the planting site should be relatively flat.
2. Propagation Methods
There are mainly two methods of olive propagation, namely seed propagation and grafting propagation. Grafting is best carried out in February or March each year, when the survival rate of grafting is higher. When grafting, wound healing treatment must be done well, otherwise the healing speed will be very slow, thereby affecting the growth rate of the plant. For planting propagation, the seeds need to first be soaked in warm water for half a day, and then sown.
3. Reasonable Close Planting
The olive is a light-loving plant and needs sufficient sunlight throughout its entire growth process. At the same time, to facilitate later field operations, planting should be carried out at a reasonable density. Usually it is best to have a row spacing of two meters and a plant spacing of about one and a half meters, and on average about twenty to one hundred and sixty olive trees can be planted per mu.
4. Fertilizer and Water Management
Fertilizer and water management for olive trees is mainly carried out according to the growth conditions, growth age, and fruiting situation of the olive trees as well as the fertility of the soil. However, under normal circumstances, fertilization must be carried out at least three times a year. The first time is about ten to fifteen days before the olive trees bloom, mainly with high-efficiency potassium fertilizer and farmyard manure. The second time is generally after fruit set when the fruit is swelling, mainly with potassium fertilizer, combined with an appropriate amount of fruit-retention agent. The last time is after the fruit is picked, for maintenance and management of the fruit trees, mainly with farmyard manure, organic fertilizer, and an appropriate amount of micro-fertilizer. In seasons with more rain, drainage should be carried out in a timely manner, but during the growth of olive branches and leaves and the fruit-swelling period, a large amount of water is needed, so an appropriate amount of water replenishment is required.
5. Shaping and Pruning
Olive trees grow relatively fast, and their branches and leaves are also relatively lush, which will affect the fruiting amount of the olive trees. Therefore, during their growth process we should scientifically prune the branches and leaves. Usually the branches and leaves at the top of the olive tree are pruned, which can make the olive tree grow horizontally as much as possible. At the same time, the main trunk and branches of the olive tree should be pruned to form a crown with clear primary and secondary structure. In addition, the places where the olive branches and leaves are relatively lush should be pruned to maintain a certain degree of airiness.
6. Pest and Disease Control
The resistance of olive trees is relatively strong compared with other fruit trees, but anthracnose, gummosis, and tree gall disease occasionally occur. For these diseases we can use Bordeaux mixture, carbendazim, and thiophanate-methyl respectively for control. The most common insect pests include scale insects of the lice type, scale insects of the scale type, and longhorn beetles, among others. Usually we use trichlorfon or chlorpyrifos for control.