Black Olive winter care?

[Schmikah]

I've poked around looking for info on black olive but it seems to be pretty thin on the ground. Does anyone have any tips for care in 6-7 usda zones in the US? I usually live is east Tennessee but I'll be keeping the tree in the Richmond VA area until December.

What I have read so far is:
1) keep it well watered
2) give it as much light as possible during the winter, but full sun is not necessary
3) humidity trays are invaluable
4) keep temps around or below "room temp"
5) if it must be indoors, give it east/west/south window facing

I will be getting a grow light soon for some of my new tropical trees, so should I throw this one under it or is a winter dormancy more important?

I guess there are quite a few questions in this post but if anyone has any experience I would be excited to hear any experience.

P.S. I'll send along some pictures when I get back in town.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I've this mission Olive. It winter's indoors during the colder months. Already pushing more growth as it's under grow lights.

Yeah, it's a bit odd.

 

[markyscott]

I assume you’re talking about Bucida spinosa? I think Darlene’s tree is an Olea europaea which requires different winter care.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I assume you’re talking about Bucida spinosa? I think Darlene’s tree is an Olea europaea which requires different winter care.

So his isn't treated as a tropical then,come winter? I'm curious...

 

[Paul G]

Mine actually thrives in a north facing window. Slow, horizontal growth. Trunk thickens very slowly.

 

[CamdenJim]

It depends on the cultivar. I bring mine into the unheated garage when the temperature goes below 28F. That doesn't happen here (zone 7B) very often, so the rest of the time they live outdoors, smile at the sun, and grow OK. Last year I even harvested an olive. One. One fruit of the olive tree. The smaller tree in a bonsai pot hasn't done that, so it's going to a new home next spring. It's too small to be a respectable bonsai in my lifetime, so it needs a more appreciative younger caretaker.

 

[markyscott]

So his isn't treated as a tropical then,come winter? I'm curious...

Bucida spinosa are tropicals and should be protected from temps below 40. Olea europaea 'Mission olive' can tolerate temps in the 30s and even brief freezes without a problem.

S

 

[Cadillactaste]

Bucida spinosa are tropicals and should be protected from temps below 40. Olea europaea 'Mission olive' can tolerate temps in the 30s and even brief freezes without a problem.

S

Gotcha...Northeast I've read these I have need to be treated as tropical. But we don't keep the tropicals overly warm. We have English bulldogs...and the house in general is cooler. But tropicals survive.

 

[Schmikah]

I assume you’re talking about Bucida spinosa? I think Darlene’s tree is an Olea europaea which requires different winter care.

Yes, its not a true olive. I'll post some pictures soon but it seems to be adjusting well-ish to the indoor life. The grow light hasn't arrived yet but I've been keeping it on a humidity tray and I haven't seen too much yellowing/browning of the leaves except for one of the outer shoots of one of the lower branches. Surprisingly, at least to me, I'm seeing most of the branches up-turning (I bought it from a green house where most of the light was coming from directly overhead) and see the newer shoots growing and firming. I'm not sure if that will be good long term if the tree needs some sort of dormancy period to rest.

On a separate note, I have been misting the tree once or twice daily aside from the tray. That's not advice, but I'm just trying to see if that helps keep it from dying back.

I really would like to hear any experience you few have on the need to keep black olive cooler or not. At the moment, renting out a room, I don't have that option but I will when I'm back in Tennessee I'll have an attached garage with a window and power for a lamp, or an unattached garage that gets cooler (probably within 5ish degrees of outdoors temps) with a window that gets much less light.

 

[Schmikah]

I've this mission Olive. It winter's indoors during the colder months. Already pushing more growth as it's under grow lights.

Yeah, it's a bit odd.
View attachment 267088

How is that thing alive? I'm not an olive expert but it looks like those are some major fungal growths or maybe compacted scars from insects (maybe?). Its not traditional but that could be interesting to say the least. I'd like to hear more, I'm thinking about buying an olive or two in the next couple of years if I'm somewhat confident I can keep them alive.

 

[Cadillactaste]

How is that thing alive? I'm not an olive expert but it looks like those are some major fungal growths or maybe compacted scars from insects (maybe?). Its not traditional but that could be interesting to say the least. I'd like to hear more, I'm thinking about buying an olive or two in the next couple of years if I'm somewhat confident I can keep them alive.

Adair... explains it well. Also old mission olives get really cool textured bark.

 

[Schmikah]

Adair... explains it well. Also old mission olives get really cool textured bark.
View attachment 268027

Got it. I had no idea olive would produce aerial roots, I thought that was a tropical only particularity. That being said, I still find it surprising that a root ball would grow that chunky. It looks more like a ginseng ficus than olive.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Got it. I had no idea olive would produce aerial roots, I thought that was a tropical only particularity. That being said, I still find it surprising that a root ball would grow that chunky. It looks more like a ginseng ficus than olive.

They aren't Arial roots... I thought Adair explained it well. Maybe not.

Think of it a chunk of the base of the tree where roots grow down below the trunk. It was removed and just those roots exposed.

Ginseng...that's funny. I would think my too-little ficus more pegged for that.

If this Olive looked like a ginseng...I would be a hoarder for sure of Ginseng.

Neagari style...... Notice my title by the way.

 

[Schmikah]

They aren't Arial roots... I thought Adair explained it well. Maybe not.

Think of it a chunk of the base of the tree where roots grow down below the trunk. It was removed and just those roots exposed.

Ginseng...that's funny. I would think my too-little ficus more pegged for that.

If this Olive looked like a ginseng...I would be a hoarder for sure of Ginseng.

Neagari style...... Notice my title by the way.

Nope, you're right, I just can't read very well.

But, as promised, here are some pictures of the black olive. I ended up buying two grow lights from big box stores and have continued the misting/tray regimen. It seems to be doing well with the mix of natural and artificial light and I'm keeping it close to the window to get some colder ambient temperatures to have a somewhat dormant time during the winter. After doing some more reading I have began pinching back some of the new growth and plan on leaving it to harden until the natural light picks up in March-ish (unless it really begins sprouting with the 12 hours of light it gets with the grow lights). I know the photos aren't great but if anyone has some ideas for styling I would be wide open to suggestions.

P.S. I'll have some better pictures when I'm back in town after thanks giving to give a better idea of the branch structure.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Nope, you're right, I just can't read very well.

But, as promised, here are some pictures of the black olive. I ended up buying two grow lights from big box stores and have continued the misting/tray regimen. It seems to be doing well with the mix of natural and artificial light and I'm keeping it close to the window to get some colder ambient temperatures to have a somewhat dormant time during the winter. After doing some more reading I have began pinching back some of the new growth and plan on leaving it to harden until the natural light picks up in March-ish (unless it really begins sprouting with the 12 hours of light it gets with the grow lights). I know the photos aren't great but if anyone has some ideas for styling I would be wide open to suggestions.

P.S. I'll have some better pictures when I'm back in town after thanks giving to give a better idea of the branch structure.

View attachment 270041View attachment 270042

That perched on the window ledge as it is...concerns me.

A dormant tree wouldn't need light...so I'm not sure what you will accomplish with 12 hour lights on. Yet a cool window. Wish you the best success...I don't mist mine. Humidity tray under it seems enough. I always worry about fungal issues.

 

[Schmikah]

That perched on the window ledge as it is...concerns me.

A dormant tree wouldn't need light...so I'm not sure what you will accomplish with 12 hour lights on. Yet a cool window. Wish you the best success...I don't mist mine. Humidity tray under it seems enough. I always worry about fungal issues.

Let me tell you my thought process, patched together from snippets that are probably contradictory. The black olive is native to the Caribbean and grows as far north as Florida (I think). The window "area" drops a few degrees below room temperature (we usually keep the thermostat around 70 during the winter) which would be around 65-68 deg F once temps outside get to around freezing. Those temps are not uncommon in Florida during the winter (at least the northern portion) so I wasn't concerned as long as the foliage wasn't actually in contact with the window pane. The light is only to make up for latitude difference between central Florida and Tennessee, which I think is roughly about an hour of extra daylight in the winter (specifically central Florida), so I plan I reducing the hours of light as winter goes on down to a minimum of about 10 hours per day (Tennessee will end up getting about 9 or less by the solstice, I think). From what little I know about horticulture, when I say "dormancy" for tropical/sub-tropical trees I mean a significant reduction in the overall metabolic activity of the tree, not a complete halting of activity as a deciduous tree does. That being said, my impression was those tropical/sub-tropical trees still need water and light during the winter but reduced from what would be given in the longer growing season.

That being said, if I'm wrong or misguided, for the love of God, please tell me. I would also be interested to hear what your concern is with the window specifically, your concern concerns me . And if you don't mind, could you give me a quick run down of your winter care? If you've been successful I would definitely test out your regimen.

p.s. The window shown is not the window that the tree currently inhabits. That picture was taken a few days after I bought the tree and it has been relocated to a much larger window and ledge where the closest branch is about 2-3 inches away from the pane.