Mitzyboy

Was out down the garden yesterday and discovered an Olive Tree with loads of olives (black I think)

Is there anything I should be doing? When do you know when to pick em?

Ka Ora!

Try this.....Here

snikpoh

We have quite a few. Last year we picked them about now but this year they're still green.

The link (above) really says it all but I would wait 'till they are all really black. I generally watch neighbours and also watch for tractors taking loads to the local Co-Op.

If you've got enough, the Co-Op will take them and give you either money or a voucher for very cheap oil around Jan/Feb next year.

Mitzyboy

Thanks, I was hoping for some local knowledge We only have one tree by the looks of it, although I can see what looks like another by the perimeter

For those that are wondering why I dont know whats in our garden btw, its on a mountainside with agricultural steps. I haven't been down there for a year

Ka Ora!

Suit yer self......

Mitzyboy

Eh?

Ka Ora!

Picking Olive trees is picking Olive trees, Doesn't matter whether your in Aus, Spain or France. The period in the year may vary with harsher summers etc. What does matter is whether you want to eat them or turn them into Oil as you get a better yield from Riper Olives for Oil. So wait until they are nice and black with a dark purple inside and when you are picking to eat them, Green Olive are considered better as they have a longer shelf life more Anti Oxidants and all of that. As the provided link says the Window for picking Ripe Olives is a lot smaller before they go bad on the trees. Best thing to do is Look at what the farmers are doing around you.

Mitzyboy

Ahh I see
Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you
In fact I sent you karma

I didn't mean your link wasn't useful ...... I was looking for timing of picking locally ..... sorry

Ka Ora!

Not to worry.....

Dick Dasterdly

Picking olives,----Mucho Trabajo!
Like many others when first in Spain,I thought oh lovely,a few fruit trees and olives, just sit in the sun and watch them grow and pick some fruit when in the mood.
Only it aint quite like that!
Spend most of the year battling against hungry insects, a variety of diseases and even frost in addition to the pruning,clearing and other work.
Then the actual picking is quite hard graft even with just a handful of trees.
I watch these Place in the Sun progs.where the punters are shown fincas with a plot of land and a hundred or so olive trees and other fruit and told what a wonderful bonus income they will have.
I reckon after one year of trying to manage and harvest them they may be sadly disillusioned with the amount of work and problems that can be involved.
Its much the same as the nonsensical claims they make of possible rental income which dont take into account times of non occupancy,the many costs involved, plus possible taxes etc.etc.
Having said all that its still great even after quite a few years to be able to go in the garden and pick a few fresh oranges and lemons etc.
Just wouldnt like to have to do it for a living, like last year the prices were so bad that it wasnt worth the farmers trouble to pick them.

bil

My thoughts exactly. If I had more land than I knew what to do with, I wouldn't mind an ornamental olive, but frankly since I can buy olives year round, I would far rather have fruit trees that give a crop that I like fresh off the tree.

Mitzyboy

Hey Guys ....... I'm talking about one tree here

I'm not going to be hiring hoardes of Eastern European pickers to come down here one day and blitz the tree

Relampago

We have two varieties of olives

Gathering of September: The first gathering begins in Autumn, my favorite station. The olive is green, but when maturing, it grows, it is fat and it becomes black. It is necessary to catch this olive by hand, because it is for table and you can ruin if doesn't catch by hand (since there are many ways to catch the olive) and with baskets. It is a fat olive, with a lot of meat

Gathering of January: the growth of this olive is inferior to the olive of September. This calls " Manzanilla " (" Camomile ", in english) and it is for oil. Surrounding the tree with blankets or meshes, and using a rake to scratch the branches, so that the olives fall to the blankets or meshes of the floor. This can also be made by hand, and to allow to fall to the floor, but it is slower. The rakes are more effective

These are the two olive varieties that we have and the two ways that we have of to catch the olive

In some trees we have the two varieties of olive, thanks to implants

Dick Dasterdly

Yes, but methinks times are a changing,modern technology and all that.
They now have these battery operated rubber vibrator gadgets on the end of a big long stick which gently shake your olives from the branches.
They are very easy to operate, quite effective and take good care of your olives so I hear.
However it may well be advisable to keep them under lock and key if there are any women-folk about the place.

Mitzyboy