Olive fantasy.....

[toby6668]

Just wondering of anyone has ever even thought of growing olives in the uk. Guess it would need a heated GH. Might be a ridiculous proposition given recent weather, just thinking how much I enjoy eating them :-)

[toby6668]

If not of!

[toby6668]

Don't suppose it's easy to grow a tree in a GH.

[PyreneesPlot]

We had one in a pot outdoors (Devon then Oxford). No fruit but it grew well, better than down here!

[Kirk]

Sure there was a bit of a program about someone that intended doing what you ask, they planted up what would be an orchard of olive trees. Not a clue where it was or anything else. This last fairly cold winter/spring may have done the place damage I suppose.

One thing is you do not pick and eat the olives, you pick then process them and then you eat them. I seem to recall that the process is not a days worth of time but a few weeks. The processing determines if they come out green or black.

[veggiechicken]

Dream on, I'm afraid. I have an olive tree, it's lived outdoors for 7 years and has had a couple of olives but that's it!
They're growing them in Devon though British olives anyone? | Countryfile.com

[horticultural_hobbit]

See, wilkos near work had little plants in a box. I eyeballed them, a few times, but have yet to succumb.

[VirginVegGrower]

I have two olives in a standard shape, potted. They fruited considerably this year and were overwintered in an unheated greenhouse - now in the polytunnel. Although they ripened to black, I have not taken off the fruit for brine addition as they are the size of marrowfat peas, rather than sizeable Greek kalamatas