Olivesgrow on treeswith the scientific name ofOlea europaeaand are aboriginal in many areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea in Europe and the near East . Olives are an ancient human intellectual nourishment crop , acquire small yield call olive and also vegetable oil which is pressed from the mature fruits .
Regions of the World Where Olive Trees Thrive
A ready coup d’oeil of the regions of the man which produce the most olive trees tell us something authoritative about the climatic requirement of this harvest . These main Olea europaea grow domain are :
Other countries with increase European olive tree yield are Saudi Arabia , Java , Bermuda , and Argentina .
All of these mature regions have in common a warm summer climate , little to no summer rain , and few days of freeze temperature which never fell below 15 ° F ( -9.4 ° C ) . This is the climate olive tree opt and do best in .
Today , over 20 million tons of olives are grown commercially each year in these location , producing cured olives and olive oil . In addition , many home gardener in these climate zona successfully grow olives in their backyard garden and home landscapes .
Soil Types for Olive Trees
Olive trees need soil with practiced drain and a site with full sun , but they can develop in misfortunate quality grime and demand piffling fertilizer . European olive tree trees do n’t often become substandard in phosphorus , K , or trace minerals , so the increase of these fertilizers is usually not call for at planting or afterward . However , software of N fertilizer are need for growth of leaves and Olea europaea production .
In most dirt , the addition of some constituent matter at planting time , such as compost , peat moss , or coco roughage , helps root get and spread out . unify in a quantity of constitutional issue adequate to about 1/3 of the territory grind out of the hole . Fertilizewith 50 pounds ( 22.7 kilogram ) of compost spread out out around the groundwork of the tree each spring .
While these trees thrive in areas with spicy , dry summers , withal , they need regular irrigation in warm month to grow and make yield .
Temperature Limits for Olive Trees
USDA industrial plant hardiness zones 10 and 11 are prime olive raise areas , but there are cold - dauntless cultivars which can be grow in zones 8 and 9 . The lowest temperatures in the growing expanse are the limiting factors .
Temperatures below 15 ° F ( -9.4 ° coulomb ) kill the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , and temperature below 28 ° F ( -4.4 ° speed of light ) damages yield . point longer than a few mean solar day of freeze temperature can also severely damage or kill the tree . Frost at blossom time , ending of April until the middle of May , can also wreak havoc with olive crops , and rainwater in summer increases the risk of pathogen infect the trees .
The popular Mission Olea europaea is one potpourri which can withstand the colder climate zone . This tight - growing tree diagram produce abundant , dim fruituseful for curing and making oil .
