Houseplant olive at home. How to plant olive trees

In 1560 it was brought to America, where it is cultivated mainly in Peru and Mexico.

Description

The height of an adult cultivated olive tree is usually five to six meters, but sometimes it reaches 10 to 11 meters or more. The trunk is covered with gray bark, gnarled, twisted, usually hollow in old age. Branches are knotty, long, drooping in some varieties.

The leaves are narrow-lanceolate, whole-edged, gray-green, do not fall off for the winter and are renewed gradually over the course of two to three years.

Fragrant flowers are very small, whitish, with two stamens, located in the axils of the leaves in the form of paniculate brushes. Blooms in late June.

The drupe is most often elongated-oval in shape (length 2 - 3.5 centimeters), with a pointed or blunt nose, with a fleshy pericarp containing oil. The color of the fruit pulp is green, turning into black or dark purple when ripe, often with an intense waxy bloom. The stone is very dense, with a grooved surface. Fruit ripening occurs 4 - 5 months after flowering.

Usage

Varieties

There is a misconception that ripe olives are black and unripe olives are green. In fact, black and green olives are two completely different varieties... Like apples "Antonovka" and "Gold". The oil content of black olives is higher than that of green olives.

According to their physicochemical characteristics and oil content, olives can be roughly divided into two groups: rich in oil content and less rich. Olives, which are rich in oil, belong to the olive group. The second group includes varieties suitable for processing, or canned varieties. The main indicators when evaluating canned varieties are the diameter of the fruit, its weight and the ratio of pulp and bone (the smaller the bone and the more pulp, the more valuable the fruit), the properties of the pulp and its chemical composition.

Food product

Since ancient times, people have eaten the fruits of the olive and made olive oil from them.

Olives are rich in fats; the yield of oil on absolutely dry matter, depending on the pomological grade, ranges from 50 to 80%. Fruits are rich in proteins, pectins, sugars, vitamins: B, C, E, P-active catechins, contain salts of potassium, phosphorus, iron and other elements. In addition, the fruits contain carbohydrates, catechins, phenol carboxylic acids, pectin substances, triterpene saponins. The leaves contain organic acids, phytosterol, oleuropein glycoside, resins, flavonoids, lactone elenolide, bitter and tannins, essential oil, which includes ethers, phenols, camphene, eugenol, cineole, citral and alcohols. The leaves contain glycosides, organic acids, bitterness, flavonoids and tannins.

Olive oil is the main product for which this crop is mainly cultivated. But the fruits of olives are widely used in the canning industry for the manufacture of canned food from green fruits, and from black - dry-salted olives. Olive olive oil is used in Food Industry in the production of delicious canned fish (sprats, sardines), the fat content, its chemical and physical properties depend on a set of factors, soil and climatic conditions of the year, agrotechnical measures, pomological varieties.

Canned olives, dry-salted black olives, and especially stuffed olives, have a spicy taste, are an irreplaceable snack, delicious canned food, complementing the assortment food products, and most importantly have a healing value.

Wood

The wood is greenish-yellow, heavy, strong and curly wood, which lends itself well to polishing and is used for making furniture. It is also appreciated by woodcarvers, used for inlays and the manufacture of expensive turning and joinery.

Medical applications

They are trying to replace quin with olive bark, and infusions from the leaves normalize blood pressure and respiration. Experts say that olives contain almost all vitamins and minerals necessary for a person. The raw pulp of the fruit contains up to 80% of non-drying oil, which contains unsaturated fatty acids unique in their properties - oleic (75%), linoleic (13%) and linolenic (0.55%). Unlike animal fats, they are not only not harmful, but bring considerable benefit to the body - they prevent the development of atherosclerosis, heart and vascular diseases, do not contain and promote the removal of cholesterol, and have a beneficial effect on the digestive organs. Spanish buttermakers believe that olives are useful for people at any age and may well become the basis of even a children's diet. The fact is that the acids included in them - the main component of vitamin F - are necessary as construction material membranes of cells, and the body itself synthesizes them only partially.

Other applications

Olive oil is used in the perfume industry. The second and lower grades of oil are known under the name of wood and are used for lubricating machines in soap making.

Plants are a good ameliorant on terraced mountain slopes steeper than 10-12 °. They make the soil resistant to erosion and subsidence, which is very important in stopping landslides, soil erosion and wasteful water discharge from precipitation. Olive trees, characterized by the durability and power of the root system, are able to suspend the spontaneous situation in the Opolznevsky forestry.

World production

Gallery

The olive tree belongs to the Olive family. In the Mediterranean, in the south of Crimea, in the southern regions of Russia and in other areas with a mild climate, this plant is grown in open ground... In harsher conditions, it can be grown in winter garden or in a spacious, bright room, including an apartment. Table trees will bear fruit regularly with proper care.

The olive tree belongs to long-livers. It has been growing for over 500 years. Olive trees grow in the Garden of Gethsemane (Jerusalem), the age of which, according to scientists, reaches 2000 years. Greece is considered the birthplace of the olive. According to ancient legend, the goddess Athena sent an olive branch to this fertile land, from which the first tree grew.

Olives are a real treasure for human body... They contain over 100 nutrients. It seems that nature itself took care of the health, freshness and beauty of a person, giving him these priceless fruits.

Olives are the simplest and most effective prevention of diseases of the heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract and breast cancer. To achieve the desired effect, it is enough to eat only eight olives a day or season salads with olive oil.

Oliva is the personification of deep internal cultural ties. At least that's what Thomas Friedman thinks. He expressed his thoughts on globalization and cultural identity in his sensational book Lexus and the Olive Tree, published in 1999.

Ornamental olive tree

Usually homemade olive is grown not for the sake of fruit, but because of its decorative, very attractive appearance. Today there are many varieties of this wonderful culture that have characteristics... For home cultivation, varieties that reach no more than 2 meters in height are suitable, which are suitable for growing in a container.

The olive tree at home is a miniature, evergreen plant with a spherical and compact crown. Young plants have a light gray bark, while older plants have a dark bark. Leaves are dense, narrow, lanceolate, dark green in color. They stay on the branches for a long time, do not fall off even in winter. They are updated every 2 years.

The flowers are white, small, bisexual, with a goblet calyx. The fruits are elongated-oval single-seeded drupes, about three centimeters long, which have a pointed or blunt end and a fleshy pericarp. The color of the fruit can be green or dark purple, depending on the variety. Its average weight is 15 g.

Olive tree at home

Many are worried about the question of whether this plant will take root in our apartments? V natural conditions the olive tree grows in semi-deserts, and on rocky mountain slopes, and on saline and poor soils. Sometimes where no other plant can survive.

The olive tree looks silvery from a distance, because its dark green narrow leaves on the underside are covered with a bluish bloom. It is even sometimes mistaken for some kind of willow.

The drought resistance of the olive is striking. In this, the date palm can be compared with it, probably. Both of these trees love when their crown is warm, and the roots are cool. In search of moisture, they push their roots very deeply, reaching groundwater, which are sometimes at a depth of 5-7 meters.

Olive tree: care

At home it is unpretentious plant does not require complex maintenance. He needs a well-lit "place of residence", abundant watering during the period of active growth (March-August). In autumn, olive watering is reduced, and in winter, when the plant seems to freeze, the soil in the pots is moistened no more than twice a week.

Reproduction

The homemade olive tree, which is easy to care for even for a novice grower, is propagated by seeds, grafts and cuttings. To grow a tree solely for decorative purposes, the plant is propagated by seeds.

Preparing the seeds

This method is quite long, but it allows you to see the entire development cycle of the tree and guarantees its high survival rate. Before planting, they are soaked for 12 hours in a solution of caustic soda. Then they are rinsed with water and planted in a pot with a diameter of no more than nine centimeters to a depth of two centimeters. The soil must be moist and nutritious. In addition, you should pay attention to the fact that the earth is loose, light. Such a mixture consists of leaf and sod land, sand, peat in equal volumes. Large, oblong olive seeds are planted in small (5 cm in diameter) pots no deeper than 1 centimeter.

You will see the first shoots in 2 months. At this time, you should carefully monitor the soil moisture. It is recommended to water the sowing as the clod of earth dries up and try not to allow it to become waterlogged or dry out. Seed germination is usually 40-50%. Often, the seeds do not germinate or give non-viable, weak shoots, which die after a short time. If we grow an olive tree from seeds, then the first fruits should be expected no earlier than ten years later. If you want to speed up the terms of fruiting or flowering, the grown seedlings must be grafted onto varietal plants.

Surprisingly, an olive tree at home can even be grown from a stone. True, to get a good result, you need to spend a long preparation process.

Propagation by cuttings

In this case, the olive tree retains all its maternal characteristics. The first fruits appear in the third, in rare cases in the second year. Two or three summer branches should be taken. Their slices are carefully treated with a growth stimulant, then they are planted in sand ten centimeters deep, the seedlings are covered with glass on top (for this purpose, polyethylene can also be used).

For rooting, the optimum temperature is 25-27 ° C. It usually occurs within a month, after which shoots begin to appear. After 3-4 months, the root system is fully formed, and the seedling can be transplanted to its permanent place in a large pot.

Lighting

The olive tree, which is easy to care for at home, is very fond of good lighting, therefore, sills of southern windows are suitable for young plants. Mature trees can be placed in a room in any well-lit place.

In the warm season, it is useful to take the plant out into the air - in the garden or on the balcony. An abundance of light is especially necessary during the period of plant growth and bud formation. If it is not enough, the olive will slow down its growth. V winter time the tree needs additional lighting to prevent leaves from falling off.

The air should be warmed up to 18-22 ° С - this is the most comfortable for this culture. During the rest period (winter), the temperature should not exceed 13 ° C. Such conditions will facilitate the establishment of flower buds. Watering during this period is reduced; top dressing is not recommended to be introduced into the soil.

Blooming olive: care

During the flowering period, the plant needs more careful care. At this time, it is very important to monitor the condition of the soil. Watering is carried out as needed (when the top layer of the earth dries up). If there is not enough moisture, the leaves of the plant grow dull, curl up, and then fall off. This can even lead to the death of the tree.

Slightly yellowish to completely white flowers with a delicate and refined aroma bloom in mid-June. At home, the tree is decorated with delicate flowers for several months. Wind and insects pollinate the plant, but daily shaking of the branches is necessary for a home olive. With self-pollination, fruits can set different sizes, and cross-pollination significantly improves their quality and productivity

Despite the fact that the olive tolerates dry air well, we recommend sprinkling its crown in extreme heat. Until the age of four, the plant needs an annual transplant. This is usually done in early spring, and it is not necessary to change the entire contents of the pot, it is enough to replace only the top layer of the soil with a more fertile and fresh one.

Pruning

Regular pruning will help you shape the olive's crown into a neat, globular shape. During this procedure, remove dry and weak branches, shorten long shoots, create the desired shape. If you decide to grow an olive tree for fruit, remember that the bulk of the crop comes from last year's growth. Therefore, pruning must be done very carefully so that you can enjoy the harvest next year.

Despite the somewhat laborious cultivation process, the olive tree is unpretentious, not prone to diseases. With regular and proper care, two years after planting, you can admire the blooming olive and get a good harvest (up to 2 kg of fruits per year).

Top dressing

During the active growth and development of the olive (February-October), regular feeding (once every fifteen days) should be carried out with solutions and infusions of organic and mineral fertilizers... For better setting and development of fruits in summer time the introduction of double superphosphate is useful. For this, an aqueous solution of a substance is used at the rate of five grams per one liter of water. In addition, it can be mullein - a two-week infusion, diluted 15-20 times before use.

From November to February, the olive tree, which is kept in the room, all metabolic processes slow down sharply, and it goes into a state of dormancy. In winter, feeding is not carried out.

If you set out to grow a homemade olive tree, you should remember that not enough light, excessive watering and very heat air in winter will not allow you to "tame" such a tree in your house. If you can cope with these obstacles, then you need to be patient, because compared to most plants that are known about experienced florists, the olive develops very slowly, and it does not bloom too quickly. But indoor plant lovers are attracted by the fact that it can be grown all their lives - this small tree lives, according to scientists, at least three thousand years.

Attractions of Cyprus. Olive Tree

Olive oil. Where did it come from? According to the biblical story, the olive branch was brought to Noah by a dove as a sign that the anger of God against people had subsided, and the Flood had stopped. The olive tree was the first to grow after the Flood, announcing with its birth a truce between God and man.

The olive tree (Latin Olea europaea) is an evergreen subtropical tree. Belongs to the genus Olive (Olea) of the Olive family (Oleaceae). The olive tree is home to the southeastern Mediterranean and is said to have been cultivated for the first time in Greece. This is evidenced by the mention of olive in ancient Greek myths.

An interesting fact is that the plant, which has been cultivated since ancient times for the production of olive oil, does not occur in the wild!

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Botanical description of the olive

The olive is a dioecious plant: when planted, two plants are planted in each hole: a female and a male for pollination.

The olive tree is actually considered evergreen shrub reaching 10-12 meters in height. The trunk of the olive is very picturesque - covered with gray bark, gnarled, twisted, usually hollow in old age. The branches of the tree are knotty, long. The leaves are leathery, gray-green in color, the inner part of the leaf has a silvery tint. Olive leaves do not fall for the winter. The tree renews foliage gradually, over the course of two to three years.

The olive usually blooms from late April to early July. Fragrant flowers small (2-4 mm), white-yellow. On the branches, the flowers are located in the axils of the leaves in the form of paniculate brushes. In one inflorescence, you can count from 10 to 40 flowers. The period before flowering of the tree is very important: if 6 weeks before flowering the tree is experiencing drought or lack of nutrients, then its yield is sharply reduced! Therefore, spring rains are especially delightful for the owners of olive groves.

The drupe is considered the fruit of the olive (what we call "olive"). Most often it has an elongated oval shape, a pointed or blunt nose. The length of a ripe olive is from 0.7 to 4 cm, the diameter is from 1 to 2 cm. Its oil is found in the fleshy pericarp.

The color of the fruit pulp depends on the type of tree (there are more than 500 varieties of olive!): Its color can be green, black, dark purple, often with an intense waxy bloom. Ripening of olive fruits occurs 4-5 months after flowering - in September-November. The most productive olive tree after 20 years of life. The olive tree bears fruit every 2 years and, with an average yield, gives about 20 kg of olives.

On average, the olive fruit consists of water - 60%, oil - 10-30%, sugar - 5%, protein - 1.5%, fiber - 2-5% and minerals - 2-6% (proteins, pectin, vitamins B, C, E, potassium salt, phosphorus, iron ...).

90% of the fruits are used to make olive oil, which, even without preservatives, has a long shelf life. Olive oil has an excellent taste and, what is important, is absorbed by 98% ( sunflower oil only 80%!). Unlike animal fats, olive oil is not only not harmful, but brings considerable benefits to the body. The acids it contains are an essential building material for the cell walls of our body! Energy value of olive oil 898 kcal / 100g.

Olive oil is used in the cosmetic industry, it is widely used in cooking and in the production of canned food of the highest grades.

Olive leaves are used in the pharmaceutical industry. They contain organic acids, phytosterol, oleuropein glycoside, resins, flavonoids, lactone elenolide, bitter and tannins, essential oils(phenol, camphene, eugenol, cineole, citral and alcohols) as well as organic acids, bitterness, flavonoids and tannins. Olive leaf infusions normalize blood pressure, cure respiratory diseases, and stimulate the immune system.

Greenish-yellow, heavy, strong and twisted, olive wood lends itself well to polishing and is used for making tableware and furniture. It is also appreciated by woodcarvers, used for inlays and the manufacture of expensive turning and joinery. The bark of the olive tree is hayed by pharmacists as a substitute for quin.

Olive trees are a good ameliorant. Planted on mountain slopes, they make the soil resistant to erosion and subsidence, which is very important in stopping landslides, soil erosion and wasteful discharge of rainwater. Long-lasting and strong root system of trees can stop landslides!

Today total area the cultivation of the cultivated olive is measured in millions of hectares. The largest number of olives is grown in Spain, Italy and Greece.

Where to buy rustic olive oil and cosmetics based on it?

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Olive branch - a symbol of peace

A dove carrying an olive branch is depicted on the emblem of the World Peace Congress. The olive branch is widely used in heraldry, where it has a similar meaning.

The connection of the olive tree with the life of southern peoples is reflected in numerous legends. A dove with an olive branch in its beak served as a theme and emblem in Old Testament legends. In the Mediterranean countries, olive oil was used not only for food, but also for sacrifices, for anointing the hair and body, and was added to lamps - lamps.

During archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean, ancient oil mills are found everywhere. Images of olive and amphora for oil are characteristic of ancient culture Egypt. Theophrastus wrote that the olive grew in Thebes and the oases of the Libyan desert. The ancient Phoenicians spread the olive tree across the Mediterranean. The ancient Greek epic is especially rich in legends about the olive tree. The olive, along with figs, pomegranates and pears, is sung in the Odyssey. Requirements for the cultivation of olives are contained in the laws of Solon. Greek settlers in Asia Minor, in the Western Mediterranean and on the southern coast of Crimea brought an olive tree with them and planted it on new lands.

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Olive picking time is a big holiday

October, November, December are the main months for harvesting olives and the time for making olive oil. The Cypriots call this time the “Olive Harvesting Festival”.

Whoever watched the process at least once, hardly decided to call this event a holiday: in order to collect olives from one tree, it takes several hours of manual labor!

You have to collect olives by climbing a tree, and dressing in tight work suits, since the branches of olive trees are quite sharp, contact with them is not only unpleasant, but also fraught with injuries to the skin.

The collected olives are taken to the factory, where olive oil is squeezed out of them, the very Extra Virgin Olive Oil! The most delicious and healthy.

For a photo report on how olive oil is squeezed, see here:

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The remaining olives are pickled or salted.

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Oliva in Cyprus

Thousands of evergreen olive trees with colorful shapes, picturesquely curved trunks, heavy branches strewn with berries in autumn grow on the island. As you travel around the island, you will see olive groves everywhere. You will also see olive trees near the houses of local residents - a rare family in Cyprus does not own at least a few olive trees.

Oil is still produced here according to ancient traditions - the cold-pressed method. Here, as before, olives are preferred not to pickle, but to salt, generously sprinkling them with seasonings and pouring lemon juice on them. Here, as in the old days, olive oil is applied to the hair and skin, and the olive branch, consecrated in the church, is pinned to the front door of the house.

You can buy excellent quality olive oil and freshly salted olives at any supermarket on the island, but you can also go straight to the factory for neem.

In any pharmacy and even in a souvenir shop, you will find cosmetics made on the basis of this wonderful oil. You can buy cosmetics in the manufacturer's laboratory

In Cyprus, you can buy healing infusions from olive leaves, as well as unique healing olive tea.

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Olive Tree (olive) belongs to the Olive family (Oleaceae). The botanical name is Olea europaea. Out of 60 known species olives are of economic importance only European olive (Olea europaea). Everythingolive varieties are divided into varieties:

Olives from which the oil is obtained (Olea europaea oleaster);
- table olives (Olea europaea sativa);
- olives of dual use, there are not so many of them.

Olive - perennial due to its ability to self-repair. It is a drought-resistant fruit species that can withstand short-term frosts down to -10 ° C. Olive trees grow well in soils with sufficient lime content, on stony-sandy soil, their roots are so strong that trees can even grow in rock. The root system is very highly branched, it is several times larger than the projection of the crown of the tree, although it is located at an average depth of 80 cm. This allows the olive to withstand droughts. The root system and trunk form a thickening - a neck, which very often grows and grows. Young shoots grow from it every year, which must be constantly removed so that the tree does not turn into a huge bush.

The trunk of an olive is usually no higher than one meter. Young trees have ash-gray bark, old ones have dark, rough bark.

Olive leaves - small, lanceolate or elongated-oval leathery, located opposite each other; from above they are dark green, from below they are silvery-gray. At the edges, the sheet is slightly bent (therefore, the heating area by the sun's rays decreases). This particular leaf structure helps the plant to withstand severe droughts. During a wet, mild winter, the olive accumulates a large amount of reserve starch in its leaves, which serves it as a good help in spring and dry, waterless summer. The evergreen leaves on the olive tree are replaced gradually, new leaves begin to form from spring to autumn.

Leaf lifespan is one year, very rarely reaches two. A tree growth bud at the base of each leaf can be dormant for a long time, it starts growing only if necessary - with severe pruning, damage from hail, etc. This is a very valuable property of the olive tree - to always recover.

Olive trees all year round exposed to the hot rays of the sun and the healing sea climate. This gave unique properties both fruits and foliage of trees. Archaeological documents confirm that beneficial features olive leaves have been known for several thousand years. Due to its pronounced antimicrobial effect, olive leaf is used as an anti-febrile agent and for the treatment of purulent wounds. A decoction of the leaves helps to normalize blood pressure.

Olive flowers are hermaphrodites (bisexual), small, fragrant, white with a shade of cream, collected in axillary inflorescences. They bloom from April to June, depending on the place of growth, weather conditions and, of course, the type of plant.

Fruit by the olive elongated-oval or round in shape with oily pulp and hard bone. Depending on the variety, it weighs up to 15 grams. When fully ripe, it turns dark purple or black, often with a waxy coating. A good harvest is considered to be 25-35 kg of fruits per tree. Olives ripen from October to December, again depending on the variety and location.

Olive harvest

Olives begin to be harvested when most of them change color to purple, wine. They have not yet reached their full ripeness, but it is at this point that they have the highest percentage of oil, strong aroma and least bitterness. Before harvesting, a canvas is spread around the tree, onto which the fruits will then fall. They are knocked down with a rotating pitchfork-like device without damaging either the fruit or the tree. But more often, olives are harvested, as if combing a tree, holding them with small "rakes" along the branches with ripe fruits.

After harvesting the fruits, the crown of the trees is pruned. This is a very crucial moment, because the fruits are formed on the two-year-old branches of the plant. Therefore, they invite a specialist - "pruner" of olives, often this profession is inherited. Basically, the crowns are formed in the form of a bowl so that the sun's rays can freely penetrate to each branch of the tree.

Olive varieties

Breeders have bred many varieties, only in Italy there are about 250 of them, but along with them, ancient varieties of the so-called "home" selection, planted several hundred years ago, continue to grow and bear fruit in olive gardens. Some gardeners have planted new olive varieties on them, and both "oil" and "table" olives are harvested from one tree.

Most Popular "Oil" varieties of olive in Italy, these are Canino, Caninese, Carboncella, Strana, Olivato, Raja, Rosciola, Salviana, Leccino. The percentage of oil in their fruit is higher.Table varieties of olives have large, fleshy fruits, but they are not suitable for oil production.

The collected precious fruits are manually sorted out, freed from the fallen branches and leaves. Their juicy pulp contains from 40 to 70% of a golden-yellow transparent fat with a delicate aroma. Olive oil is the main wealth of the olive tree. It also contains the kernels and even the walls of the pits of the olive (respectively 12 and 5%). But the harvested fruits, before they turn into "green gold", undergo a certain processing. Olives, peeled from leaves and twigs, are carefully collected in boxes with holes for free air passage. One of the main conditions for obtaining high quality oil is the need to process the olives within 24 hours after harvest. Although in practice this is done even after a few days because of the long queues at the oil factory.

In Italy, along with modern factories, there are also old, traditional ones, although there are fewer and fewer of them. To see the amazing process of obtaining olive oil, the most valuable and noble of vegetable edible fats, I went to an old factory. There were a lot of people who wanted to get oil from the olives collected in their garden. So, the washed olives are fed to a mill, where large, heavy millstones made of stone or marble grind them together with the seeds into a homogeneous mass. After that, the crushed olives go into the mixer. This is a very important and crucial moment when the mass of the olive paste is thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous consistency. Then a certain volume of it is decomposed into special circles with holes with filters. These circles are stacked three at a time on solid steel discs, and the discs, in turn, are mounted on a pin mounted on a special mobile cart. When 20 such disks are put on it, the cart is placed under a press and subjected to slight pressure. The squeezed mixture of oil and water enters the separator, where the water is separated from the oil. The golden stream coming out of it is the famous olive oil of the High Quality Oliva Extra Vergine, obtained by the so-called cold method.

Even in modern factories olive oil production process remained much the same. There are slight differences in crushing: a knife system is used and then the olive paste is placed in a horizontal centrifuge where water is added. The process of separating oil from water takes place at a temperature of 28 ° C. At the same time, the oil is also obtained of excellent quality.

It can be eaten right away, but it should take some rest and wander before selling it. Fresh oil seems transparent, but after a while a sediment will appear at the bottom of the container where it is stored, which must be separated from the oil, otherwise it will then acquire a sour taste. Only after the sediment has been separated will the crystal clear liquid gold be bottled in bottles bearing the Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva label, i.e. the highest quality oil, cold processed.

An amazing olive tree, thanks to its beauty, in recent times takes center stage in gardens, on balconies, on terraces. It is no longer a tree just to receive fruits, but serves both as a decoration and as a tribute to respect and love for national traditions. Breeders have developed varieties that allow you to grow olive in containers. Low evergreen trees with a beautiful silvery-green crown will not only delight you with their beauty, but will also give you the opportunity to harvest olives in your garden. Olives can tolerate a drop in temperature, but if the winter is harsh in your area, you need to bring the tree to a sheltered place during the colder months.

For a home garden, it is preferable to choose varieties of trees of table varieties, since olive oil at home it is almost impossible, but to have olives all year round own ambassador not difficult. They are delicious.

And then you can cook a lot of goodies out of them. Italian housewives pickle olives like this: add 50 g of soda per 1 kg of olives to a container with water. The water is changed twice a day for a week (until the olives soften). Moreover, they must be mixed three times a day. Then the olives are taken out, washed with clean water. Then they are put in a jar of very salty water (so that the egg does not sink in it) and fennel is added. You can try the resulting dish only after 2 months. Salt olives on occasion - you won't regret it!

Homemade olives are often grown not for the sake of the fruit, but because of the attractive, decorative look... To date, many varieties of this culture have been bred, each of which has its own distinctive features... For growing in indoor conditions suitable olive varieties up to 2 m in height, suitable for container cultivation.

These include:

Photo gallery

To obtain edible fruits of high taste, table varieties should be chosen.

The indoor olive is an evergreen, miniature tree with a compact, globular crown. The bark of juveniles is light gray, of older ones it is dark. The leaves are narrow, dense, lanceolate, dark green. They hold on to the branches for a long time, without falling even in winter period... Gradually renewed every 2-3 years. The flowers are small, white, bisexual, with a goblet calyx. Fruits are single-seeded, elongated-oval drupes 0.7-3 cm long with a pointed or blunt end and a fleshy pericarp. The color of the fruit depends on the variety, it can vary from green to dark purple. The average weight of a nut is 15 g.

Indoor olive tree at home

The olive is propagated at home by seeds, cuttings, grafting. For decorative purposes, the tree is propagated by seeds. Before planting, they are stratified by soaking for 12-16 hours in a solution of caustic soda. After that, the seeds are rinsed and planted in a small pot with a diameter of 7-9 cm to a depth of 2 cm in moist nutrient soil. The sprouts will hatch in 2 months. During this period, you need to regularly look after the sowing, monitor the soil moisture, water as the earthen coma dries, and prevent it from drying out or waterlogging. Seed germination of this plant is 40-50%. In some cases, the seeds do not germinate, or weak, non-viable sprouts appear, which soon die. Trees obtained in this way begin to bear fruit in 8-10 years. In order to accelerate the flowering and fruiting period, the grown seedlings are grafted onto varietal plants.

When propagated by cuttings, the tree retains all maternal signs, the fruits appear 2-3 years after planting. To do this, take cuttings of 2-3 - year old branches. The sections are treated with a growth stimulator, then the cutting is buried in the sand to a depth of 10 cm, and covered with glass or polyethylene on top to create a greenhouse. Optimum temperature for rooting 25-27 ° C. Within a month, the plant will take root, shoots will begin to form. After 3-4 months, the root system will be fully formed, after which the seedling can be transplanted to a permanent place in a large one.

Indoor plant The olive is light-requiring, so it should be grown in bright sunlight. For young individuals, southern windows are suitable, adult trees can be placed in a room in any bright place, either in a winter garden or a greenhouse. In the warm season, it is useful to take the pot outdoors, for example, to the garden or to the balcony. An abundance of light is especially necessary during the growth of the tree and the formation of flower buds. With its lack, the growth of the olive will slow down, the shoots will begin to stretch in length. In winter, the tree needs to be provided with additional lighting in order to avoid leaf fall.

The most comfortable air temperature for this culture is 18-22 ° С. In the winter period of rest, the temperature should be 10-13 ° C. Wintering in such conditions will contribute to the laying of flower buds. The number of waterings for this time is reduced, no fertilizing is applied.

Blooming olive: home care

When caring for olive trees at home, it is important to monitor the condition of the earthen coma. Watering should be carried out as the topsoil dries up. Lack of moisture negatively affects the plant, the leaves fade, curl up and fall off, which can lead to its death.

The olive tree at home tolerates dry air well, but in extreme heat it is necessary to spray the crown. Up to 4 years of age, an annual plant transplant is required. This work is carried out in early spring, changing the topsoil to a fresher and more fertile one.

You can give the crown a neat, spherical shape by trimming. When forming, remove weak, dry branches, shorten too long shoots, give the desired shape. If the tree is grown for nuts, remember that most of the crop is formed on last year's growth, so pruning in this case must be done very carefully.

Despite the rather laborious process of growing, the olive is unpretentious, easily tolerates drought, and is not susceptible to invasion. Exercising regular, proper care, already 2 years after planting, it will be possible to observe what a blooming olive looks like, and get a good harvest of fruits (up to 2 kg of nuts per year).