Detailed Guide to Olive Tree Propagation Techniques: Easily Grow Robust Seedlings
The olive is a very versatile fruit, and its olive oil is a very healthy type of oil, highly popular in our country. Olive trees have very strong growth capacity and a long growth cycle, but when planting, some veteran growers find that because their olive trees are too old, they must cultivate new trees to ensure planting returns. So how do you cultivate new trees? Below, the editor brings you the olive tree propagation techniques. Let's take a look!
1. Seed Selection and Soaking
After the fruit of old olive trees ripens, harvest it at the right time, pile the fruit together to rot, and once the skin has rotted, extract the seeds from the fruit. Wash off the pulp and mucus remaining on the seeds, then pick out the shriveled seeds and those with pests, diseases, or wounds. Soak the healthy seeds in warm water at about 35 degrees for around 2 days to promote water absorption and increase the germination rate. During soaking, stir the seeds constantly and change the water appropriately to prevent oxygen deprivation, then place the seeds on a sand bed for germination.
2. Sowing and Seedling Cultivation
First, prepare the seedling bed. Olive seedlings fear low temperatures and waterlogging, so carry out land preparation well to improve the soil's water retention capacity and facilitate drainage. Then apply sufficient base fertilizer, mainly fully decomposed farmyard manure. When sowing, pay attention to the depth - just covering the seeds is enough. After sowing, water thoroughly to promote germination. Make sure the seed suture line is in full contact with the soil to prevent it from hindering the growth of the radicle and plumule and causing bending. After sowing, cover with plastic film to suppress weed growth and prevent the soil from caking after heavy rain, which would affect seedling emergence.
3. Timely Transplanting
Olive trees have poor lateral root growth capacity, so transplanting should mainly be done with seedlings. Transplant when the seedlings break through the soil and grow to about 3 cm. At this time, the seeds have not fully extended, and one seed can produce about 2 seedling shoots, so arrange the transplanting in rows to reduce planting costs. Wait until the seedlings grow 4 true leaves before row transplanting - this is also when the transplant survival rate is highest. When transplanting, pay attention to planting density; it must not be too dense, ensuring sufficient growing space and also facilitating management in the middle and later stages.
4. Field Management
After transplanting, pay attention to observing weather changes and do good shading work. Then, before winter, build a small film greenhouse, which can both help olive seedlings survive the winter and meet the light needed for growth. Under normal management, about 2 months after transplanting, the seedlings begin to take root and develop, and at this time they need certain growth nutrients. However, it should not be too much, so foliar fertilizer can be sprayed appropriately. After this, water and fertilizer work should be done once a month to ensure normal growth of olive seedlings and meet their water and fertilizer needs.
When transplanting, be careful to protect the seedling roots, especially the main root - prevent the main root from being injured. When planting, make sure the fibrous roots of the seedlings are in full contact with the soil. Then keep only about 1/3 of the true leaves. After planting, water thoroughly to set the roots, which can effectively improve the survival rate. The above is a brief introduction to olive tree propagation techniques. This article is for reference only. Thank you for reading and supporting.