Should I fleece my olive tree?

[Caro]

Hi,

Silly newbie question ....

I have a small standard olive tree which we bought and planted this year. it seems to have done fine, looks nice and healthy. My question is, will this be slightly tender?

Should I use fleece to protect it? If so, do i just wrap the fleece around the leaves/crown and secure?

many thanks

Caro

[selfraising]

Hi Caro
No question is silly. I have not fleeced mine once and it is now 3 years old. However, I do know you get harsher weather than we do.

[frias]

I would protect a new tree. Mine is about 5 years old and fine without protection but I do live in the south.

[Nicos]

They are supposed to be fine down to about -10C if I recall..but a younger tree would presumably need more care- as would a tree exposed to wind factors!

If in doubt, fleece- they're too expensive to leave to the frost!

[Alison]

I've never protected mine and it's been fine, even when it was a very small tree. I seem to remember they need the cold to encourage fruiting but you are further north than me and there may be different types of olives.

[SueA]

Alison's right, they do need a spell at a low temperature to flower, I found that out when I kept bringing my small olive tree in during the winter & it never flowered, then I read up about it! I still give mine a bit of protection in the depth of cold winters by putting it in a small zip up plastic grow bag greenhouse when it's very icy but they are supposed to be quite hardy.

[Caro]

Everyone,

Thanks very much for your advice. I'll leave it to withstand the elements, unless we're due a very cold snap and then I'll snug it up in fleece

Thanks again

Caro

[Guzzik]

Little young uns don't like the cold. I would fleece it.

[Nicos]

Have a look at this....

Olive trees and garden design - Olive trees for sale


Quote......." Although mature trees are remarkably frost tolerant, down to -12°C, young olive plants are not fully hardy. So to be completely safe container grown plants can be placed outdoors in the summer and brought into a cold greenhouse or conservatory for winter protection."

So- I wonder what their definition of a 'young' olive plant seeing as they can live for more than 2,000 years!!!!


As I said- when in doubt - fleece- they're too expensive to lose to the frost.

[ailsasyl]

Am on the west coast got an olive tree from my aunt last winter, never put any protection on it and its fine and believe me we get the cold winds here!!

[Nicos]

Mine is 5 yrs old..and was fine at -12C last winter , unfleeced!