When and how to prune an olive tree? The right things to boost fruiting and limit pests

The editorial staff of Deavita.fr continues its section devoted to gardening with a new captivating subject that will be of great interest to you or at least those of you who live in the South-East of the country. After revealing our ingenious tips for reviving a potted lemon tree and maintaining a bonsai like a pro, we move on to olive trees! More concretely, we will see when and how to prune an olive tree - a very important gesture for the maintenance of the tree and closely linked to good fruiting. Decryption.

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Why do you always have to prune your olive trees?

As we have just mentioned above, pruning the olive tree is an extremely advantageous and important step in the maintenance of this tree of medium size. Done correctly, pruning the olive tree can boost olive production from one year to the next while improving the quality of fruiting. In addition, it helps aerate the tree and reduces its risk of disease.

For the olive tree to benefit from all its virtues from pruning, it must be done correctly and at the right time. Find out when to prune your olive tree in the next paragraph.

When to prune an olive tree?

The pruning of the olive tree, as with all fruit trees, is carried out at three different times and depends on the objective. Thus, there is a training pruning to be done when planting the tree. Then, it is the maintenance pruning practiced annually in February. Finally, we have the size of fruiting to be done every 2-3 years.

Before taking the right steps to adopt to prune your olive tree correctly, it is first important to obtain the necessary tools, including pruning shears, a pruning saw and a healing product to apply to cuts of more than three centimeters in diameter.

How to prune an olive tree?

And now let's see how to prune an olive tree in order to enjoy good abundant fruiting for years. As the cut is made at three different times (see above), we will examine them one by one by explaining the operations to be performed for each of them.

Training size

Logically, we start with pruning which is done when the tree is planted, but on condition that the tree is large enough, around one meter and at least four years old. So choose 4-5 of the largest branches to keep, arranged around the trunk of the tree and cut the others. Finally, pinch the central branch.

Maintenance cut

Practiced every year in February, the maintenance cut consists of first cutting the shoots that have grown at the foot of the olive tree. Then it is the turn of the branches starting from the trunk. Finally, all that remains is to prune the branches growing inwards.

Fruiting size

The pruning of fruiting is the most important and it is done every two years during the period after the great cold and the month of May. Here, the objective is to create a structure with 4-5 branches in order to boost light and air circulation, which in turn promotes pollination and fruiting. Added to this is the reduced risk of disease development. So how?

First, we prune the branches of the previous year that have already produced olives before pruning the arching branches. Then, we cut the new branches that develop from the trunk, as well as the dead wood. Finally, the size of the most vigorous branches is reduced by a third, because olives are best when they grow close to the trunk.

Where to grow olive trees in France?

In France, olive trees can only be grown in the south-east of the country and on the island of Corsica. The territories by the sea are not recommended, because the harvest would be reduced. Trees are planted in winter, but it is important to avoid periods of frost. The olive tree likes all soils, even the poorest, but it does not tolerate humidity.

Main pests

Have you pruned your olive trees correctly and you hope to have healthy and delicious fruit? To get the most out of it, it is essential to recognize the main diseases of the olive tree in order to act as quickly as possible and avoid major damage. The olive fly is one of the two main pests to learn to identify urgently. It lays eggs from July to cover the fruits with white maggots which feed on the pulp, causing the olives to rot. The fight against the larvae is quite difficult and is carried out via pheromone traps.

The second insect that likes to ravage olive trees is the black mealybug, which invades leaves and branches, but can also cover the tree with black felt. Black scale insects have small oval shells adorned with relief patterns reminiscent of the letter H. To combat them, experts recommend spraying white oil in March.