During archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean region, parts such as fossilized leaf impressions from cultivated precious olives have been found, which can be dated to an age of 5,000 years or more. This shows that the olive has been native to the Mediterranean for a very long time. Ergo, it is not surprising if the plant has adapted perfectly to the prevailing climatic conditions - this applies in particular to the roots of the olive.
What are the roots of an olive tree like?
The roots of an olive tree adapt to dry and barren soils by spreading over large areas and branching out heavily. In loose soil they can reach depths of up to 7 meters, while on firmer surfaces they extend more superficially.
Olive roots spread over a large area
The roots of the European olive tree are excellently adapted to dry and barren soils and are therefore able to extract even small amounts of moisture and nutrients from the soil. The growth of the roots depends on the nature of the soil. If the soil is loose, the roots can reach a depth of seven meters - to cover the water requirements from the groundwater. On firmer surfaces, such as rocky ones, the roots spread to the surface and branch out heavily. This also applies to pot and bucket olives. As a rule, the root system is about as wide as the crown of the tree.
Each main shoot can be assigned a root
It is also typical for olives that each main shoot above the ground can be assigned a specific root and the associated root network. Therefore, when pruning the olive, you should be careful not to damage or cut off any main shoots - this will result in the corresponding roots also dying. The resulting rot can eventually spread to the entire root system and the tree as a whole.
Take care of olive roots properly
So that you can enjoy your olive tree for a long time to come, you should pay particular attention to the roots when caring for them. Root-friendly tree care includes the following points:
- Water olives only moderately (substrate should be dry before each watering)
- Avoid waterlogging through good drainage in the pot (pebbles)
- the pot should be about a third larger than the treetop
- Transplant the olive into a larger pot about every one to two years
- When transplanting, be careful not to damage the roots
- In winter, especially protect the roots from cold and frost (bark mulch / brushwood cover)
Tips & Tricks
Good winter protection is the be-all and end-all, because olive trees are Mediterranean plants and are therefore not used to frost - even if some varieties are described as frost-hardy. Make sure that roots, trunk and crown are adequately protected in icy winters! Special plant heaters (these look similar to a string of lights) can help.
