Topic: My olives are ripening

[aquilegia]

 :o :o :o  :D

I'm really shocked and amazed - my olives are turning black! Some of them are half green and half purple and look gorgeous - I must get some pictures at the weekend. There are loads of them too. Well probably enough to fill a big jar anyway!

But what do I do with them? I can't remember those links to the olive processing sites. Soak them for how many months?

[Johnny C]

Hi there
Just got back from Sorrento, they were taking the olives to the presses to crush for oil. Their olives weren't for eating unfortunately.

Do you perchance know how to germinate them from the fruit? I brought a number back to try and grow. I live in the Grim North, near Liverpool but it's a fairly clement climate, not much frost in the sheltered back garden

[Johnny C]

PS this looks like a good site, you may find useful information or links on there

http://www.olivebusiness.com/OliveHandbook/GrowingOlives/growing_olives.htm

[aquilegia]

No idea Johnny. I got mine as a tree. If you have lots of stones, could be worth popping some in a pot to see what happens.

It's not so much the cold that can damage the trees, but too much water in winter. In Tuscany many trees cope with snow in the winter, but the drainage is ok. I have my tree in a big pot (terracotta, of course) and have dug lots of grit into the soil (about 50/50 grit to compost - it's bloody heavy!) It's doing pretty well so far!

[cleo]

Great news Aquilegia-and welcome Johnny,glad you found us.

Stephan

[tim]

London, Aqui - do you get reflected warmth from other buildings? Or are you outside the 'blanket'? = Tim

[aquilegia]

Tim - we're in suburbia really, as much as I hate to admit it. The garden is small with high fences, but not too many buildings. It's very shady at the mo, although I have put the olive in the narrow corridor of sun it gets midday.