Selection of the seeds
First of all, you need the right seeds. Olives belong to the stone fruits, so they have - just like cherries or plums - a seed core surrounded by pulp. However, you cannot simply go to the supermarket and buy olives with a stone there and then use them as the basis for your own olive cultivation. Instead, you usually have to order the seeds from specialist shops or online. Olives available in Germany are usually pickled or otherwise processed, which is why their core can no longer germinate.
also read
- Care, cutting, wintering: this is how you grow a magnificent oleander in a pot
- From the Mediterranean to Germany - How to successfully plant an olive tree
- Propagating an olive tree - this is how you can grow your own little tree
How to choose good olives for seeds
You can find germinable seeds in
- fully ripe, ie black olives
- which are as fresh as possible and not processed
- the fruits should not have any damaged areas
Another possibility would be to travel to the olive growing areas at harvest time and bring back fresh, fully ripe olives from there.
Treat the seed core properly
Once you have a seed, the first thing you need to do is rid it of the surrounding pulp. Then carefully rinse it under running lukewarm water and rub off the remains of the pulp. First soak the dried seeds in lukewarm water for 24 hours, changing this several times. Now you can carefully scratch or file the seeds, this will speed up germination.
Plant the seed core
Now place the pretreated seed core in as germ-free potting soil as possible. The tip of the core should look up. Cover it loosely about 0.5 to an inch with soil and keep it moist - but not wet! The pot should be as bright and warm as possible - around 20 to 25 ° C. Germination occurs within four to twelve weeks. The seedling must be as bright as possible, otherwise its shoot will be too long and thin. You only need to repot the young plant when the soil in the nursery pot is already well rooted. Only fertilize them with some liquid fertilizer when they are around three to four months old, but with a maximum of a quarter of the usual dosage.
Tips & Tricks
Young olives also need a lot of air and a lot of light. It is therefore best to grow the young plants in spring and then place them outside in a sheltered place from June / July. A partially shaded location is ideal to slowly get the olives used to the sun.
