Olive bush

(Don't know if this is the right section of the forum to put this in.)

I have just been out and bought a small standard olive bush.

In the garden centre, they were being kept in the mid-temperature section, ie not outside but not in the fully-heated area either. I don't know whether to put it in my (unheated) greenhouse, which might be too cold, or to keep it indoors, which might be too hot!

If anyone on here has grown olives before and could offer advice I would be very grateful. I obviously don't expect a huge crop of olives in this country, but this bush had one or two fruits on it so must be mature. When the weather warms up I will keep it in my greenhouse and hope to be able to pick a couple of fresh olives off it next summer.

 

Ideally in a hot place-as long as you water it occasionally it will be fine. I have one on a windowsill which is south facing and it gets very hot there in Summer, but if anything it likes it.

I have to say though, I haven`t ever had a juicy olive off mine.

 

If you intend planting it outside eventually, or just putting out in a pot, (personally I dont think I would go for the greenhouse in summer),I would go for the cold greenhouse option right now.

Just keep an eye on the weather, hopefully we wont get another freeze like the recent one, if we do you may need to bring it indoors for a bit, but it should be OK in the greenhouse even during a "normal" overnight frost.

Mine has survived the recent frosts outside against a south facing fence, so they are pretty frost resistant, its just that yours may be a little tender still due to its previous heated position.

 

We've two olives grown from cuttings taken in Greece.
Last winter they were left outside during winter and produced a good crop of tiny olives. This year they are wintering in our unheated greenhouse. Olives are quite hardy, but need a long warm sunny season, which seldom occurs up here in Scotland, to produce a decent crop.

 

Hi, jenn, from land of the Olives (as well as Oranges).

You've had very good advice here from UK olive growers. Let me tell you something .... the olive tree against my kitchen wall is the most disgusting tasting olive (a black one .... there are black and green ones I can assure you) that I've ever encountered in my life. And believe me, I know how to 'temper' olives as you cannot eat them directly off the tree.

I think it will be a 'novelty' tree for you to enjoy .... buy your olives to eat in the grocery store ...

Rather than fruit trees .... olives, avocados, citrus, etc .... I think you guys should devote more time to growing Bay trees .... they love the UK climate .... damp and cool and what a wonderful cooking accessory. I have the tiny one I brought from the IoW outside my kitchen door .... now about 1.5 meters tall .... :gnthb:

 

Thanks, everyone. I will take all your advice, and see what happens!

 

We always want what we seemingly can`t have, but I do have four enormous bay trees, if only the olive wood do that.

 

I agree, bay trees are boring, olives would be nicer.

 

I have a friend who now lives in Texas, she can grow some of the most gorgeous looking fruits, and yet all she wants are daffodils-you just cant win!!