Olea europea is a demanding ornamental plant that demands a lot of attention from its owner. If you want to have a successful olive year, you must ensure ideal conditions during the winter months. In the early year the plant requires further attention.
When should you put the olive tree outside?
Olive trees can be placed outdoors from mid-February to early April when outside temperatures no longer fall below minus five degrees. Slowly acclimating to higher levels of light and UV rays helps avoid leaf burns.
Winter properly
Olive trees are only partially frost-resistant. In milder regions they can tolerate temperatures below zero, even if there is no appropriate winter protection. As soon as the thermometer falls into the double-digit minus range, the Mediterranean plant will suffer damage if it overwinters outdoors. To be on the safe side, place the pot in a frost-free winter quarters.
Information on wintering grounds:
- protected from wind, frost and precipitation
- Cool and bright rooms are ideal
- heated living spaces prove to be suboptimal
Dangers during winter
Olive trees are evergreen. Because the foliage remains year-round, the risk of foliage damage and excessive leaf loss during the cold season is high. Stress caused by drought, frost damage or too little light forces the plant to shed its leaves. Therefore, winter care is of great importance.
Make sure you take good care of yourself
Water the pot ball regularly so that the soil does not dry out completely. However, the roots cannot tolerate waterlogging. In preparation for the new season, you should repot your olive tree and provide it with fresh substrate. Cut back the crown to maintain shape and maintain a balance between root system and leaf mass. Remove dead branches and thin out the crown area so that all shoots get enough light.
After wintering
The little olive tree wants to get back into the fresh air as quickly as possible and shouldn't stay in its winter quarters for too long. The decisive factor here is the development of temperatures outside. Although the tree can tolerate low temperatures, cold nights can cause damage to the foliage.
Observe the temperature trend
Depending on the region, you can put the plant outside from mid-February to early April. The outside temperatures should no longer fall below minus five degrees in the coming weeks. Long-term weather forecasts from the German Weather Service provide information about how the climate is developing in your federal state. Placement outdoors can be done earlier if you place the tree well protected. As soon as temperatures exceed twelve degrees, the tree moves permanently to its original place of growth.
Select location
If the tree has spent the winter indoors, it will carefully get used to its old outdoor location. The leaves require a slow approach to higher levels of light and UV rays so that they do not suffer burns. In addition, the plant should not be directly exposed to rain and cold winds. A covered place on the wall of the house is suitable for getting used to, where the facade radiates heat at night.
