Garden Aust - Olives trees. Presenter: Sophie Thomson, 27/05/2006 Sophie visits an olive grove near Adelaide The olive tree is the oldest cultivated tree in existence and can live for thousands of years. It can survive poor soils, with little water, and its hard, thin leaves are adapted to prevent water loss, so it's an extremely hardy and forgiving tree. Olives flourish where there is good drainage and cool winters, with hot dry summers without humidity. That's most of Southern Australia. The olive grove where Gardening Australia filmed is an hour south of Adelaide, near Mount Compass. It’s in a high rainfall area known for its milk and cheese.
Sam’s parents had olive trees in Greece. “If you want to grow olives, you've got to fertilise, water and prune to maintain the shape and health of the tree. “Normally water once a week, say 10 to 20 litres. Olive trees have become a bit of a weed problem around South Australia and other areas of Australia. Sam says: “We use a lot of composted chicken manure. How to Grow Olives | The olive (Olea europaea) is a small tree native to the coastal Mediterranean region.
The attractive tree has silver, elliptical leaves and small, whitish, fragrant flowers. Once established, it is highly drought-resistant and tolerant of poor, infertile soils. With the increasing interest in Mediterranean food and garden design has come a demand for home-grown olives. There are also many plantations now producing high-quality olive oil in Australia.
Planning the cropOlives need a warm, sheltered situation in full sun. How many to grow- Young olive trees are quite expensive, so your budget might govern how many to grow. Varieties- Recommended varieties for fruit, not oil, are Manzanillo, Mission, Kalamata and Sevillano. Land Preparation. Fruit Trees Melbourne : Fruit (Dwarf) Trees Victoria - NurseriesOnline. Fruit trees have been a feature of gardens in Melbourne and Regional Victoria for many years. Fruit trees including Dwarf Fruit trees that are suitable for Melbourne include: Apple Trees, Lemon Trees, Peach Trees, Plum Trees and some species of Avocado Trees. Included are apple trees which are suited to the cooler climate, dwarf fruit trees which are great space savers, citrus trees especially lemon trees and plum trees. Cool climate avocado trees such as the 'Bacon' variety are also popular with Melbourne Gardeners as are cumquat trees which are grown as decorative trees as well as for the fruit.
(Cumquats do well in containers in Melbourne) In recent years fruit trees such as pomegranate and fig trees have increased in popularity with Melbourne gardener and along with lemon trees, apple trees and plum trees are some of the best fruit trees for the Melbourne climate. How to grow citrus trees in pots. Words Jennifer Stackhouse No longer do you need a big, old-fashioned backyard to have citrus on hand. Plant breeders have brought citrus trees into the 21st century. No longer do you need a big, old-fashioned backyard to have citrus on hand. With new dwarf varieties, you can grow productive citrus trees in pots even on a sunny balcony. Lots a’ Lemons and Dwarf Eureka, both lemons, suit pots. Mandarins, cumquats and calamondins also make good potted plants. To get the most from your potted citrus give it regular care and attention.
Getting Started Select a large pot to grow your citrus and put the pot into its final position before you begin to fill it with potting mix. Modern potting mixes provide good drainage, but for a plant that’s going to be in a large pot for a long time it is best to add about 10 per cent soil to the potting mix, combining it well. On-going care Potted citrus need to be watered two to three times a week. Citrus also need to be well nourished.