Olive tree does not tolerate frost
From his home countries - e.g. B. Italy or France - some olive varieties are quite used to frost, but Italian or southern French winters cannot be compared with winters in Germany. The prevailing freezing temperatures in this country, which can last for days or even weeks, usually mean death by freezing for unprotected olives. It is therefore advisable to keep the tree in a bucket to keep the tree transportable and, if necessary, to be able to move it to a more protected place.
also read
- From the Mediterranean to Germany - How to successfully plant an olive tree
- Properly care for the olive tree in the pot
- How to grow a splendid olive tree
Do not keep olives in the room
Olives are not suitable as houseplant, it is best to place your olive tree in a sheltered location on the balcony, terrace or in the garden. The plant not only needs a place that is as sunny as possible, but also sheltered from the wind. In addition, olives need a lot of air and will wither quickly if they are only kept in the apartment or house. You can put your tree outdoors as soon as frost periods are no longer expected - pay particular attention to night frosts! - and at best bring him to his winter quarters as late as possible.
Plant out the olive tree
In most regions of Germany, planting the olive tree in the garden is not advisable. The weather is usually too cold, especially the winters too long and frosty. Free-range husbandry could only be successful in a few wine-growing regions in the south of the Federal Republic, but only with appropriate protection in winter. In the cold season you should protect your olive properly - whether outdoors or in a tub:
- Do not overwinter olives too warm, temperatures around 10 ° C are optimal
- especially protect the roots from frost, otherwise they will die
- Root heating is always advisable for olives that are wintering outdoors
- The trunk and crown also need protection, for example through special heat protection mats
- always ensure there is enough sun and water regularly
- the colder it is, the less you have to water
- if there is a lack of light, the tree sheds its leaves
Olive groves in Germany
Between 2005 and 2007 there were some efforts to plant olive groves in the area around Cologne and in Saxony. However, these plantings all froze to death in the severe winters between 2008 and 2010. There is currently only one experimental olive grove in the Kraichgau between Heidelberg and Karlsruhe with around 40 trees that are still young.
Tips & Tricks
If possible, only buy robust olive trees that have grown in a harsher climate than the Mediterranean region. These are used to a different climate than, say, Spanish trees and therefore get along better with the German climate.
