bigglesworth

Does anyone know how one those huge olive trees they sell in garden centres are maintained here over the winter? I would have though the frost would kill them, and they are far too big to move on a plant trolley.

Chatter Static

Wrap them in the white tree cloth.

loy loy

we have an olive tree in our garden, we just leave it and it carries on. Mind you it doesn't fruit

Our palms we wrap in cling film

bigglesworth

Is that really all one needs? Do they not need additional shelter too? Nobody around here seems to have one that I can see - although the garden centres seems to sell lots . And at very high prices.

I ask because we have several well shielded courtyards. On the East side of the house, where we have apricots nectarines, early cherries, peaches etc and one on the South, where we have mulberry, shade trees etc. And the main garden facing West where we have the potager, apples, plums, cherries, mirabelles and all the soft fruit.

Blackladder

Biggsie,
With all that garden how do you find the time to post?
PS we have often wondered about Olive trees at 250 euros a go, whether they would survive.
Blackie

Chti Anglais

My Greek work colleague brought me an Olive tree from his home town, last October. he told me not to let it get below minus 5 celcius so kept it in the garage over winter. he adivsed that I should have olives this year and sure enough it's just coming into flower, hopefully olives will follow. By the way it's three years old (apparently) and about a foot high with what looks like about 100 flowers about to open up

Novocastrian

As you know, our house is in Normandy, near the coast. Olive trees are not a local feature but we have a palm tree which I estimate to be about 100 years old in the garden.

We will be back in two weeks and I'm already preparing again to have my mind boggled when I see it.

Nectarine

I have a large olive tree that we planted in the garden 3 years ago, and a smaller olive tree about 10 years old that is in a huge garden planter. The smaller one has done well and I had thought the larger one was dead, particularly after the freezing winters we've had but there are new leaves on it so it's still alive. So yes, they can survive the winters here, but a 250euro olive tree is a big investment ... do you get your money back if it dies? Buy a smaller one and plant it well.

Domino

we have millions of olive trees here that a planted in fields open to the elements at 1000m and higher that survive the winters (-10c this last winter), the snow, the rain, the wind. Never seen anyone running round putting a wooly coat on them, not even the young ones planted last autumn.

it may be dependent on what type of olive you have
http://www.bigplantnursery.co.uk/olive_cultivars.html
gives some details on types that can be grown in the UK without problems.

I would imagine the harder the life the few the olives.

bigglesworth

Thanks for all replies.
I was just wondering really. Blackie is quite right - it is an AWFUL lot of garden, and I have spent two years gradually ripping out all the rubbish - and replanting.

I was just wondering about a bleak rear courtyard where nothing really happens, but it is quite sheltered. I am really trying to minimise effort, so do not want to put anything that requires any additional maintenance.

loy loy

a pond

we have a few pots and things in our courtyard with all our herbs and spices. Hanging strawberries, and a palm tree Pretty low maintenance

bigglesworth

'Er Indoors pointblank absolutely no way Jose on the subject of ponds!



Snakes!