Topic: Overwintering Olive

[aquilegia]

(well it is supposed to be edible!)

What shall I do with my Olive tree to help her get through the winter?

She is in a large terracotta pot with plenty of gravel in the compost. My garden is not sunny (pretty much North facing) but it is sheltered and relatively warm - Greater London.

She made it through the colder half of last winter (she was a Christmas present) - so can I assume she'll be ok again?

And when should I pick the olives - now they are fairly small and green. I assume they won't actually rippen now. (Where are those sites about preparing them?)

[Macca]

blimey you got olives, i've had 2 olive trees in pots in a sunny window for 3 years and not a jot

[Mrs Ava]

I have olives also, well, I have an olive!  The rest dropped off whilst we were on our hols, but the one is a big one, the size that you would buy from the deli.  Most impressed.  Anyhow, tis still very green and rock hard, so my olive, along with my other slightly tender and very tender babies has now gone into it's winter home, my greenhouse.  I think bigger trees can overwinter outside, but mine is still only smallish so in it goes!

[aquilegia]

Mine is 5-6ft from the top of the pot. It's way over my head anyway.