Olive Tree

I planted this olive tree in my side garden. It looks a bit feeble, any advice on how to look after it enough to give me Olives?

Thanks in Advance

Matt

P.S. Can anyone tell me what the tree on the right is?

 

Hot sunshine and a long summer is all it needs, neither of which we can guarantee but its got a chance.

Apparently olives go through a fairly lengthy process before they become edible, so its not a case of pick off the tree and eat.

Just a guess but the shrub on the right might be some kind of euonymus.

 

Thanks, so it's chances of survival now are quite limited, probably why it was only a fiver when I think they were much more expensive months back? so much for a bargain!

 

No the plants chances of survival are pretty good.

Getting a good crop of olives is less likely.

 

Boris the olive tree is now about 20 years old & has only produced 2 small olives.

 

So far as getting a useable crop of olives goes, forget it, at least for the next 30 years. By then if you prune the tree and climate warming continues you've a chance of getting a cup of oil or a few preserved olives.
We've two potted olives, now about five years old grown from cuttings taken in Greece but we only get (in a good year) about two decent sized olives from them.
One thing I would suggest is that you prune your tree to mqke it bush out . I'd chop those branches back by about two thirds.

 

My olive tree is about seven years old and has quite a crop of embryonic olives - although I know from experience that most will fall off. This year the woodpigeons have taken a shine to them, which isn't helping. The thing is ... since you can't eat olives straight from the tree, they are essentially useless, unless you're prepared to go to the considerable trouble of pickling them or turning them into a tiny amount of oil. I just enjoy the tree.