Stimulate growth with the right fertilizer
For this reason, it is actually completely sufficient if you repot your olive tree about every two to three years and replace the used substrate on the occasion. However, olives grow very slowly - and additional fertilizers, especially with phosphate and nitrate, can stimulate growth and increase your tree's resistance to disease and pest infestation.
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Which fertilizer is suitable?
Unfortunately, there is still no special fertilizer for olive trees on the market. However, commercially available complete fertilizer is completely sufficient. It is best to use a fertilizer for balcony or potted plants or a slow release fertilizer.
How is fertilization done?
In the growing season between April and September, you should fertilize your olive tree every 14 days. Add liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water according to the instructions on the packaging and water the tree with it. Optionally - for example in very dry and hot summers - you can also fill the mixture into a spray bottle and spray the plant all around. Please do not do this in the midday sun, but in the early morning or evening hours. Otherwise, the leaves could be burned. Long-term fertilizer, on the other hand, should only be added until July because the olive needs a break in the cold season and must not be fertilized.
Keep the winter break
In autumn and winter, an olive tree needs fewer nutrients, which is why you should stop fertilizing from around October. Olive trees can be overfertilized quickly, which in turn leads to disease and pest infestation. You should also limit the watering in the winter months, but not stop it completely. Do not forget to water in winter, otherwise your olive tree threatens to dry up.
Frequency of fertilization depends on age
Make sure that younger trees need much less fertilization than older ones. You can only begin with full regular fertilization when you are around two years old. Before that, it is sufficient to only provide the young trees with one sixth of the usual amount of fertilizer in the spring and summer months. At this age, one application of fertilizer per month is sufficient.
Do not fertilize seedlings and cuttings
In particular, you should never stimulate seedlings and cuttings to grow with fertilizers. The joy in the tree would not last long, because it would die quickly due to the overfertilization. The nutrients contained in the substrate are completely sufficient for such young plants. Apart from that, cuttings with little or no roots are not yet able to absorb the nutrients administered.
Tips & Tricks
Leaves that turn yellow in the olive tree can indicate an excess of water and nutrients, but also an infestation with spider mites. Use fertilizer as sparingly as possible, then your little tree will feel good all around.
