Growing an olive tree from a pit may seem daunting, but with some care and patience, you can have your own olive tree right at home. Olive trees are mostly grown from cuttings, but it is possible to grow them from pits as well. While the success rate is low, if you follow the right steps you can increase your chances of growing a beautiful olive tree.
Getting Started with the Olive Pit
The first step is acquiring olive pits You’ll need to gather olives directly from a tree, not ones bought from a store, as those pits are not viable The best time to harvest is in early autumn when the olives are ripe and green. Gently pick them from the tree, then place in a bucket. Lightly crush the olives with a hammer or mallet to loosen the flesh from the pits.
Cover the crushed olives with water and let soak overnight. Drain off the water, then thoroughly scrub the pits with a scouring pad to remove all olive residue. Rinse them well. Use bolt cutters to nick the pointed end of each olive pit – this helps with germination. Then soak the prepped pits for 24 hours before planting.
Sowing and Growing the Olive Pits
Fill small pots with a well-draining soil mix of half sand, half compost. Plant one olive pit per pot, 1-2 inches deep. Place the pots in a clear plastic bag or propagator to retain moisture, and keep them in a warm, well-lit spot. Maintain constant moisture in the top inch of soil.
Expect olive seedlings to emerge after 1-2 months. Remove the pots from the bags once sprouting begins. Let seedlings grow until they reach about 18 inches tall before transplanting.
The ideal time to move olive seedlings outdoors is early fall. Pick a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Plant the seedling a bit higher than ground level water well and let it establish over winter.
Caring for Your Olive Tree
Olive trees are quite hardy once established. They need full sun and tolerate most soil types, as long as drainage is adequate. Water regularly when top inch of soil dries out, but avoid overwatering which can lead to root rot.
Pruning is not essential, but you can remove dead branches or thin interior branches to allow better light penetration. It takes 3-5 years for an olive tree grown from seed to begin bearing fruit. The olives will be small and more like wild olives.
Tips for Success
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Start more pits than you need – germination rates are low.
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Use fresh ripe olives right off the tree for best viability.
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Maintain constant soil moisture while seeds are sprouting.
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Transplant in fall to give seedlings time to establish before winter.
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Pick a sunny spot with very good drainage.
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Water regularly but don’t oversaturate the soil.
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Be patient – olive trees grow slowly!
Growing an olive tree from a pit takes time and care, but it’s very rewarding to watch your tree take shape and eventually produce fruit. With the right conditions and proper care, you can have success growing your own olive tree at home.
How to Plant Olive Pits
The first step in growing olive trees from pits is to gather seeds in the fall once the fruit has ripened, but before they turn black. Don’t gather the olives from the ground but rather harvest the fruit directly from the tree. Use only olives that are unmarred by insect holes or other damage. Put the olives in a bucket and lightly hammer the flesh to loosen it.
Cover the crushed olives with water and soak overnight, stirring the water on occasion. Skim out any floaters, which are likely rotten. Drain the water. Using two scouring pads or the like, rub the olives to remove any residual flesh and then rinse them thoroughly.
Carefully, nick the pointed end of the olive pits with a pair of bolt cutters. Don’t break all the way through the hull or the seed will be ruined. Soak them for 24 hours in room temperature water. Now it’s time to sow the olive pits. Use a well-draining soil mix of half sand and half seed compost in individual 6-inch (15 cm.) containers.
About Olive Pit Propagation
Yes, you can grow an olive pit, but there’s one caveat – it has to be a “fresh” pit. By this I mean not a pit from a store bought olive. The olives that we eat are treated with lye, among other things, and are unlikely to engender olive pit propagation. Oh, by the way, did you know that both green and black olives are the same? The only difference is when they are picked. Green olives are picked before ripe, while black olives are allowed to ripen on the tree.
Olive trees (Olea europaea) grow in areas of long, warm summers and mild winters and can be grown in USDA growing zones 8-10. Olive trees are primarily grown from cuttings but growing olive trees from pits or seeds is also possible.
The pits need to be thoroughly cleaned and processed to break dormancy and facilitate germination. When growing olive trees from pits, keep in mind that the germination rate is frustratingly low, so hedge your bets by planting multiple pits. Wondering how to plant olive pits? Read on.
Growing Olives from Seed: A Complete Guide #olive #olives #gardening #gardeningtips #seedstarting
FAQ
Can you grow an olive tree from a store-bought olive?
Using olives purchased from a grocery store will not work. These have been processed for consumption which means they’ve been cooked. This process kills the seed inside the pit, so they are no longer viable.
Can you grow an olive tree from an olive branch?
Sever or hammer it to crack it 1/8 inch below a leaf node. Remove all the leaves except a few on top. Dip the cracked end in 0.2-percent IBA rooting hormone and gently tap to remove the extra. push the cutting into the hole in the moistened sand mixture and press the soil in tight around it.