Olive tree flowers
If you have an olive tree you might be wondering if yours will produce olive tree flowers. The answer is yes! In spring the silvery canopy is covered in tiny flowers, like a scattering of little stars. It really is quite beautiful and just another reason why olive trees are such a wonderful species. The delicate white flowers grow in loose clusters of 10 to 30 in the axils of the leaves. And, the flowers come in two types – perfect, containing both male and female parts, capable of developing into the olive fruits. Then the male, which contain only the pollen-producing parts. In order to initiate flowers and fruit, olive trees need a two-month period of cold weather (below 10°C). They also need a fluctuation between day and night-time temperatures. For this reason, plants kept indoors are generally unlikely to flower.
Olive Flowering
Most olive varieties are self-fertile, and wind pollinated(hence needing to be outdoors) and bloom in late spring. If you shake the branches gently at this time, you will help to distribute the pollen from the olive tree flowers. Although some olive tree varieties are self-fertile, in our cooler climate it may be useful to introduce another cultivar cross-pollinator to boost pollination. This should help increase fruit production. The number of flowers that then mature into olives is dependent on several factors such as…
• Too much or too little pruning
• Lack of water
• Too hot or too cold
• Nitrogen – too much or too little
• Pest infestations
• Strong winds
Will the olive tree flowers produce fruit?
Trees should begin producing fruit at about three to five years old. Therefore, watering during dry spells between February and May is crucial for fruit production. Feeding your tree is good practice if you want your tree to fruit. If olives are produced, avoid excessively dry conditions during the summer as this may cause the fruit to shrivel. It’s worth knowing that fruit is produced at the tips of the previous year’s growth. So, excessive pruning can prevent fruiting. However, thinning of the crop is recommended, helping to reduce the fruit numbers to three or four per 30cm. Ideally this will be done within three weeks of flowering, in order to ensure that the crop will ripen and not drop prematurely.
Olive trees really are a wonderfully dynamic tree. Not only do they offer beautifully romantic leaves and characterful trunks, but also delicate flowers and rather delicious fruit. There are few trees in the world that can offer so much.
If you’re looking for more information on olive trees then contact us today.
