The star of mild regions, the olive tree in a pot or in the ground is part of a good number of gardens in France. It is a fruit tree that can quickly beautify every green space. It has the reputation of an easy-care plant, however its pruning is a key moment for its good development. So, when is the right season to prune your olive tree? This is the question to which we will answer you while giving you all the right gestures to succeed in this delicate manipulation.

The olive tree is a good planting choice because it lives a very long time

Why prune my olive tree?

There are several reasons to prune a fruit tree. Firstly, if you are growing it for purely ornamental purposes, you will need to prune it to give it a pretty natural shape. Additionally, olive trees suffer from disease, pruning will allow air to circulate better and light to better reach all parts of the tree. Finally, for those who grow it in order to enjoy delicious olives, pruning allows you to remove dead branches and thus accelerate fruiting.

Pruning will be lighter if you grow your olive tree for ornamental purposes

When to prune an olive tree?

The period

Well, the difficulty always comes from finding the right time to carry out this delicate task which is pruning fruit trees. Obviously, we cannot give you an exact date, it will depend on your region. But it would be good to know the basic rules. First, you must cut your tree after or before flowering. This is important, because this way it will heal better and this will not impact fruiting. It is also not recommended to prune during periods of frost.

It is the perfect ornamental tree for a swimming pool or indoors

Frequency

In fact, olive tree pruning can be done at three different periods depending on the objective. Once a year, in February for Mediterranean regions, you can carry out maintenance pruning. On the other hand, fruiting pruning is carried out every 2 to 3 years. And training pruning is usually done soon after you plant your tree. But we will see this a little later in the article. In July, pruning will increase production, because removing the suckers will promote the circulation of the sap.©

In France you can find olive trees, even in Brittany

For any manipulation on pruning, use well-disinfected pruning shears. Here is now how to prune an olive tree, because its health depends a lot on this manipulation.

Removal of dead and diseased branches

This is the law that is valid for the maintenance of all your plants. As soon as there is a dry leaf or dead wood, they must be removed to relieve the tree and so that new, even prettier branches can take place. The advice from professional gardeners is to never make cuts at ground level.

The olive tree is hardy and can tolerate a temperature of -10 degrees

Crown thinning

It is important to remove crossing branches and those that are too close. Because as you know, the olive tree needs sun, so the magic light reaches the whole tree. While being careful, because the carpenter branches do not like much exposure to the sun if your aim is to produce.

The evergreen leaves of the olive tree will delight you all year round

Control the height

If your olive tree starts to grow, you need to act. Start by cutting the upper branches to remove some height. This also applies if there is regrowth at the bottom of the trunk. You can even cut it into a cloud to create a Zen atmosphere in your magnificent garden.

The olive tree loves and needs the sun to prosper

Care after pruning

If you are an ambitious gardener who has time, you can even do some tending to your tree after it has been restored. Spray the entire branch with Bordeaux mixture. It will help the tree to heal faster and fight bacteria. A wound filler can also be applied directly. Finally, don’t forget to fertilize your olive tree from time to time.

The tool will depend on the size of your tree

Should you prune a young olive tree?

The first pruning you should do is done right after planting. You can give it a ball or cup shape (if it is for production). Because, know that if you do not prune it to take the shape of a tree, it will have a bushy shape. So for this first pruning, it is important to remove the side branches and focus on the trunk. This size must be applied once it has reached 1 m in height. There you have it, maintaining the beauty of your plant now has no secrets for you. Depending on your objective, find the right season to prune your olive tree by following our good advice.

After finishing with pruning, remember to clean your tools thoroughly

You can grow it indoors if you want