Rising olive bushes indoors has turn out to be common in recent times — and for good motive. This Mediterranean native is tolerant of dry air and (considerably) dry soil, making it an especially adaptable home plant.
On this information, you may uncover develop and look after a dwarf olive tree as a home plant, and what you want to find out about pruning.
Get to Know Your Olive Tree
Olives bushes are identified botanically as Olea europaea, and contains hybrids of this Mediterranean plant.
In its pure habitat, an olive tree can attain 20 ft (6 m) tall or extra. Nevertheless, indoors, planted in a pot, you can maintain it a lot smaller. Dwarf olive bushes solely develop to six ft (1.8 m). Pruning olive bushes will maintain them compact.
Olive tree branches are coated with enticing, slim, gray-green leaves that develop 1-3 inches (2.5-8 cm) lengthy. The undersides of the leaves are coated with tremendous hairs.
Clusters of small, creamy white flowers might seem within the axils of the leaves in summer time, adopted by ripening fruits. Give your rising olive tree loads of daylight to get it to bloom. Though the flowers aren’t long-lasting, they’re delightfully aromatic.
No blooms? Do not be too upset in case your indoor olive tree would not flower and fruit. It makes a lovely houseplant year-round, and this evergreen tree is long-lived.
Dropped leaves? Dry soil might trigger your olive tree to drop its leaves. Do not surrender on it, although. Your olive tree will rapidly develop a brand new flush of leaves when it will get what it desires.
One thing bugging your houseplant? Look ahead to scale bugs. They’re tiny, brown, oval-shaped bugs typically discovered alongside plant stems and the undersides of leaves, alongside the midrib. Gently scrape them off, or wipe them off with a moist material, in case you can, then deal with your plant with neem oil.
How you can Prune and Repot Your Olive Tree
Pruning your Olive Tree – When, Why and How you can
- Prune your plant again when new progress begins in spring to maintain it compact.
- Pruning olive bushes lengthy branches will promote vigorous new progress and a horny form.
- Use sharp pruners to chop the stem at a forty five° angle, 1/4-inch above a leaf node (the place a leaf attaches to a stem). Making cuts right here will pressure branching from slightly below the place the reduce was made.
Ideas for Repotting Your Indoor Olive Tree
- Repot in spring.
- Transfer a younger olive plant to a pot that is simply 1 dimension (1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm)) bigger each couple years or when it outgrows its pot. Olive bushes are slow-growing, so do not be in a rush to maneuver it as much as a bigger pot.
- Preserve the crown of the plant on the identical degree because it was; do not bury the stem as a result of the plant might endure from stem rot.
- All the time use a pot with a drainage gap to stop soggy soil and root rot.
- Massive vegetation will be top-dressed every year, as an alternative, by changing the highest 2-3 inches of soil.
Give your olive tree loads of daylight year-round. Picture ©ChernetskayaPurchase Olive Bushes
You should purchase olive bushes from on-line nurseries. Search for a dwarf olive tree — that is a horny non-fruiting tree that can keep a lot smaller, making it an excellent home plant. A bonsai olive tree additionally makes a lovely accent for a sunny room.
You will discover that rising olive bushes indoors is nicely price it. These evergreen bushes are low-maintenance and long-lived.
Ideas for Rising Olive Bushes Indoors
Origin: Mediterranean
Peak: As much as 10 ft (3 m) when grown in a container. Dwarf varieties attain as much as 6 ft (1.8 m). Pruning olive bushes will maintain them compact. A bonsai olive tree is pruned and formed to remain a lot smaller.
Mild: Full solar. Rising olive bushes want as a lot direct daylight as attainable year-round. Give the plant 1 / 4 flip each week in entrance of the window to make sure even progress. Transferring your plant to a sun-drenched porch or patio for the summer time will give it a lift. Olive bushes additionally develop nicely underneath an indoor plant gentle.
Water: Rising olive bushes are thirsty spring by fall. Water completely, then enable high 2 in (5 cm) of soil to dry out between waterings. Do not enable the soil to get soggy which might rapidly kill this tree. Cut back water in winter, when plant progress has slowed.
Humidity: Common room (round 40% relative humidity); tolerant of dry air.
Temperature: Heat 65-80°F/18-27°C. Olive bushes will tolerate excessive temperatures, so don’t fret about placing your tree outdoor for the summer time — it could possibly take the warmth. It’s going to tolerate a minimal of 40°F/4°C, so convey it indoors for the winter.
Soil: Sandy, fast-draining combine, reminiscent of a cactus potting combine.
Fertilizer: Feed each 2 weeks in spring and summer time with a balanced (reminiscent of 10-10-10 N-P-Ok) water-soluble fertilizer diluted by half. Or apply a slow-release fertilizer in early spring.
Propagation: Sow seeds or take stem tip cuttings in spring. With a pointy knife or razor blade, take a 4-inch (10 cm) stem tip slicing with 2-3 leaf nodes. Dip reduce finish in hormone rooting powder earlier than inserting in moist potting combine. Olive tree cuttings don’t root simply.