How to Prune Olive Trees

[@lcglazer]

I'm new to gardening. I have about 8 different kinds of fruiting trees in my backyard and after watching many pruning videos, your summary seems to cover what I should do for all of them!

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Thanks. I have a different video on pruning fruit trees. Somewhat similar to olive trees.

[@gillparsons1261]

I'm in France , 6 kilometres from the sea and have inherited an overgrown olive tree in the house I have just purchased. Thank you for your video - very helpful as I've only grown fruit and nut trees before.

[@LuckyFigFarm]

You’re very welcome. Sounds like a nice place!

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Good morning, Jamie, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b USA 🇺🇸 Excellent tutorial 👌

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Thanks for watching and commenting, Peggy.

[@RayPark-i7b]

Thanks for a great video. We're in NE Victoria, 100 trees, 12 years old. Pruning has been a trial and error thing. This is clearest and most useful vid Ive found. Really helpful; just about to start pruning!!

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Thanks! I’ve found it doesn’t matter what type of tree you’re pruning, most of the basic principles are universal. But it seems olives particularly enjoy being open to the sun and wind.

[@randallwatson391]

I'm loving the magpies in the background :)

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Me too

[@lcglazer]

wow is that what those are? I thought you were next to a rainforest.

[@kat5288]

Brilliant advice. Thank you 😊

[@LuckyFigFarm]

You’re welcome, kat

[@spiderlady56]

Very clear and concise! Thanks for such an informative video!! I put one olive tree in the ground several years ago and it needs pruning. Oregon zone 8b, USA.

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Thank you! That’s how these ended up. I planted them as sticks and then one day “oh, heck … yeah, they need shaping”!

[@efklijzing]

my first youtube clip on pruning olive trees. Thank you for a very clear, kind and dosed way of sharing your knowledge. Thank you very much, sincerely yours, Ernst, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Thanks, Ernst. I appreciate it.

[@SJ-xg3rv]

Thanks, very informative.

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Thanks for watching!

[@ingermacrae]

Excellent video!

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Thank you!

[@RebelNanny28]

My daughter has a Russian Olive shrub … this is what the garden center called it. It’s turning into a monster, touching the ground, one large branch cracked in half recently from its own weight. We’re in Canada, zone 5. So thank you for this video, I’m going to give it a good pruning, even though it’s technically not a tree, I think your instructions will definitely help! Cheers!

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Thanks! They can handle some hard pruning.

[@igorsinger3455]

I have been growing olives in tub crops for over 10 years. and my daughter in Italy has a villa full of olives, some of which are 400 years old

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Beautiful! Such an amazing and ancient tree.

[@SuncycleEcoJorneys-jx5np]

Clear. Thank you.

[@LuckyFigFarm]

You're welcome!

[@theadventuresofzoomandbettie]

This is out first year with an olive tree - and it's definitely years and years old. We recently picked our olives for the first time - but we haven't pruned it yet - so this was a great video to come across! Thanks!

[@LuckyFigFarm]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching. Like I may have said, I’ll be curing my olives for the first time next fruiting season. Olives are such an amazing and ancient tree.

[@theadventuresofzoomandbettie]

@@LuckyFigFarm I think ours are just about at the stage where it's time to have a taste and see how they went for our first crack! Fingers crossed!

[@LuckyFigFarm]

@@theadventuresofzoomandbettie *crossing fingers

[@Tpec99p]

Great content!

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Thanks, Antonio.

[@fionavanwyk8372]

Thank you. It is a very useful tutorial. :-)

[@LuckyFigFarm]

You’re welcome, Fiona

[@LuckyFigFarm]

I welcome comments, feedback or just quick hellos. I enjoying hearing from like-minded people. Jamie.

[@nikkib4761]

thanks a great video

[@LuckyFigFarm]

You’re welcome, Nikki

[@gracepran8968]

Nice video. I hope i have olive plant in Philippines.

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Good luck. Philippines is beautiful.

[@gracepran8968]

@@LuckyFigFarm can you send seeds for propagation, just want to try my luck if it works. Thank you.

[@brooklynfinesse2270]

Thanks your video very helpfull i live in croatia and we have alot of olive trees and i never really did anything but pick them but my dad old now and i have to take over cleaning them and this was very helpful all i knew about was the dry ones and one question for the disease one ones i notice on one tree there was some black stuff on it didnt think much of it tought it was just dirty it that what you meant by disease

[@LuckyFigFarm]

One of my trees was covered in black scale. Since I have pruned it, removing anything dead and opening up the centre, opening it to more air and sunlight, the problem has gone for now. Scale can be treated with a horticultural oil, drowning the bugs. Some people use soapy water. As with all fruit trees, you can give them the best chance of preventing any infestation by ensuring it is healthy. Well-drained soil for olive trees, and opening it up with pruning to allow more air and light. Thanks for watching.

[@renatocucini2894]

Wow olive trees in Australia. My biggest passion in such an incredible continent. Would love to come over to work in the pruning season as it is in the opposite time of a year then here in tuscany where i live. This way i could double my pruning work time in one year.

[@LuckyFigFarm]

There’s plenty of work in the vineyards all over Australia

[@renatocucini2894]

@@LuckyFigFarm I imagine but i was actually looking for work in the olive grow

[@renatocucini2894]

@@LuckyFigFarm i was actually looking for work in the olive grow

[@liwabenhamida7373]

Ty really helpful

[@LuckyFigFarm]

You’re welcome

[@MelanieAnsteyChater]

Hello, I enjoyed your video, but I notice we don't get a close up when you are pruning some of the tricky branches, like the crossover branches. I wonder which one you cut and why. Also what are the climate conditions there and what is the best season for pruning?

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Hi. When I’m thinning out the branches I’m just looking to let more light and air in, choosing to leave the best looking branches - healthy, 45 degree angle approx. So I’m just quickly cutting and thinning it out, looking for the worst branches and starting from there until the tree is opened up more. The widest window for pruning is any time between when fruiting it finishing in autumn and before flowering starts in Spring. That’s the easiest guide. But I do after fruiting is finished. Some believe pruning just before spring encourages a burst of unwanted growth. My location is Mediterranean climate. Long hot and dry summers and wet winters. Zone 11. South West, Western Australia.

[@Thegirlwhomakesart]

Hello! Why not remove the center trunk all together in order to keep the Tree spacious? And what about the height of the tree? Do you keep it at a level so it will be easy to pick the olives? Thanks for a good tutorial. Greetings from Israel where We are in the middle of olive harvesting.

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Hello. Thanks for watching. I’m letting mine grow tall as a privacy screen. I have removed everything in the centre, but keeping a short trunk. Cheers

[@izmme1]

Hi someone donated an olive tree and I planted in my garden . Is the beginning of spring now in australia and the tree already has flowers in it ! Can I prune it now so the tree survives the move ? Please let me know as I have no idea I just love the tree ?

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Yes, you can prune it now. It will help the tree cope with the move. Just mainly focus on thinning it out, opening the centre up to air and light.

[@Peekcasso]

Thanks for the video! We started growing Olives in austria using more cold resistent varieties. We are zone 7b/8a. What tree spacing do you have?

[@LuckyFigFarm]

I think they’re about 2.5 metres apart, maybe 3. They are really close, but the main purpose of the trees was to create privacy from the neighbour. Although on the commercial farms near me, they don’t appear to be much further apart. Maybe 4 metres.

[@Peekcasso]

@@LuckyFigFarm Thank you very much!

[@sajidaziz7316]

I have 5 years old olive plant that have 5 main stems i watched few videos about pruning but still iam confused What is your suggestions?

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Replied

[@NaemaKhan-w4j]

Does olive trees need to seal the branches after cutting to avoid getting disease

[@LuckyFigFarm]

No

[@Rootcraft_UK]

Could you please explain why you take out th branches growing vertically? Thanks

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Hi Andrew. Vertical branches don’t bear fruit, waste energy and clutter the tree. The overall goal is to open the tree to air and light, hence opening up the centre, and vertical branches tend to clutter the centre and go against the open centre shape - with the scaffold branches growing at 45-60 degrees and the lateral, olive bearing branches, growing off these.

[@Rootcraft_UK]

@@LuckyFigFarm oh that’s great. Thanks for explaining!

[@Wh3nth3wick3drul3]

What do you sterilize them with?

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Hi. There’s a few simple options. 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution. I like to wipe with straight isopropyl alcohol as it’s ready made. Just a quick wipe.

[@decline1129]

Great video. Maybe I missed it, but were you doing the pruning after the growing season, or just before the next growing season?

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Hi. I wish I could be that disciplined, but I have about 50 fruiting trees! I prune somewhere between when the olives are finished and the next spring / growth season. I think I just mentioned to do it somewhere in this time. Thanks for your comment.

[@amaranoloisaac6978]

Greetings sir pls can olive tree do will in water flood area

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Hello. I am not an expert, but, I would say no. Olive trees cannot stand in water. They are a Mediterranean plant that are used to dry conditions.

[@simplecooking1092]

these small pencil sized branches are used for tooth cleaning and they are are better than any tootbrush and paste in the word

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Interesting

[@PenelopeThomson-nz2lo]

​@@LuckyFigFarmdo 1

[@mariorossi3898]

Hallo, The main branches of the olive trees (usually 3-4) should start not lower than 80-100 cm (about 1 meter) from the ground level. In so doing, your main branches will grow and develop better and you won't be forced to prune the trees or picking the olives in a very uncomfortable position. I am saying that because, in my opinion some of these trees have the main branches too close to the ground. Thanks for your video and good luck.

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Thank you!

[@rapierstorm213]

thanks

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Cheers

[@bigjase8709]

Needs more. Still too many big ones growing up in the middle. Get into it mate!

[@LuckyFigFarm]

I’m getting there!

[@Music_Musica-Sounds_Sonidos]

Thank You. Much Appreciated 👍👍🌱🌱🌱🌿🌿🌿🍃🍃🍃☘️☘️☘️🌳🌳🌳🫒🫒🫒🫒🫒🫒:) Thank You

[@LuckyFigFarm]

You’re very welcome 8-)

[@sajidaziz7316]

I have 5 years old olive plant that have 5 main stems i watched few videos about pruning but still iam confused What is your suggestions?

[@LuckyFigFarm]

Hello. If your tree is already 5 years old and it has too many main stems do not worry too much that it is not perfect. Ideally, the shaping of the tree would have started early so there is only one main stem, with a few main branches coming off that once it is a good metre in height. The main goal is having a balanced and even distribution of branches with enough space to let air and light through the tree. Enough space so a bird could fly through the tree without touching the branches. In your case, can you just cut off a couple of main stems, maybe bring the number down to 3? Good luck

[@sajidaziz7316]

​@@LuckyFigFarm thanks for your great suggestion Today I cutt one stem now three stems left

[@LuckyFigFarm]

@@sajidaziz7316 you’re welcome