The ancient Greek legend says that the olive tree is the work of Athena herself, the goddess of wisdom, the patroness of peaceful labor and just wars. She stuck her spear into the ground, and an olive tree sprang from it, and the new city was called Athens.
European olive
Olive is an evergreen plant (tree). On the outside, its leaves are dark green in color, and on the inside, silver.
The flowers of the tree are very small and fragrant, they are collected in a brush, and the crown is wide and spreading, the branches and trunk are curved. The bark, as a rule, has a gray color, it is covered with scales and forms a kind of influx.
The fruit of this plant, perhaps, is familiar to everyone, it is a pulp with a bone. The tree blooms from May to June, but the fruits ripen from October to December. The plant grows quite slowly, but it is very drought-resistant and durable.
I must say that the European olive is a noble tree with an interesting history. Each leaf of the plant lives for one year, sometimes two. At the base of each leaf is a kidney, which has been at rest for a long time; it begins to grow only in acute need. For example, when pruning or some damage. Such an amazing property makes the olive very stable, it is capable of complete restoration.
Useful properties of a tree
European olive all year round is influenced by the hot rays of the sun and the healing sea air. Perhaps this is what gives its fruits and leaves unique properties. Archaeologists claim that the beneficial properties of leaves were known to people a few thousand years ago. They have a pronounced antimicrobial effect, and therefore are used as an anti-febrile remedy for the treatment of purulent wounds. In addition, a decoction of leaves helps to normalize blood pressure.
The leaves of the plant secrete many phytoncides, which is invaluable in medical practice. Decoctions of them are used as a diuretic for edema, as well as for prophylactic purposes against atherosclerosis and obesity.
Harvesting
Harvesting from trees begins at a time when most of the fruits acquire a purple hue. On the one hand, they have not yet fully ripened, but it was at this moment that the largest percentage of oil was observed in them, with a strong aroma and very little bitterness. Before the harvest begins, canvases are laid out under the trees, on which olives will actually fall. Fruits are brought down with a special rotating device, while they are not damaged, but remain intact. There is another way to harvest. The trees are carried out with special "rakes", as if combing them. Ripe fruits fall to the ground.
After the fruits are harvested, the crown is trimmed. This is a very important and responsible work, because olives are formed on two-year-old branches. Therefore, the procedure itself is carried out by a special specialist - a cutter. This profession is passed down from generation to generation. As a rule, the crown is formed in the form of a bowl, this is done with the aim of good penetration of sunlight.
Olive European: home care
In principle, olive can be grown at home in our latitudes. To do this, the tree must be properly maintained.
European Oliva tolerates our climate well. But all the same, the trees need to be watered regularly enough, while moderately. This is best done with room temperature water . During active growth, the plant must be fed. European olive loves sunny places. In the summer, it is better to move it to a balcony or terrace. In winter, it is better to place the plant in a cool place, and from February begin to increase the temperature. In spring, trees need to be rearranged to the most lighted places where they feel best. They begin to bloom in May and June, when the temperature reaches eighteen degrees.
In spring, the trees respond perfectly to top dressing with complex fertilizers with nitrogen. Thanks to this, an earlier laying of flower buds occurs.
Flowering and pollination of plants
Small white or slightly yellow flowers with a delicate delicate aroma appear somewhere in the middle of June. European olive at home blooms a little longer than usual, about a few months. The wind and insects pollinate the flowers, but if there is no wind at all, then the branches need to be shaken daily. In the process of self-pollination, the fruits can be tied in different sizes. But cross-pollination significantly improves the yield and quality of olives. European olive gives about two kilograms of fruit at room conditions, and up to twenty kilograms in a garden.
To get a crop, you need to know how to care for European olive. In principle, a tree is very drought-resistant, however, in the absence of a clear growth of branches, you need to understand that it lacks moisture. In addition, the plant is very photophilous (branches are exposed in poorly lit places), it does not tolerate acidic and swampy soils. By liming the land, crop yields can be significantly increased.
Olive propagation
European olive propagated by cuttings, seeds and vaccinations. Before planting, the seeds are dipped in a 10% alkali solution for 18 hours, then they are washed and cut off with a secateurs nose bones. Then they are planted to a depth of about two to three centimeters. The first sprouts appear after two to three months.
When propagating plants by grafting, the original wild tree is used. The first fruits from such a tree can be seen only after 8-10 years.
For cuttings, cropped 2-4-year-old branches are used, the diameter of which is 3-4 centimeters. Slices are treated with garden var and then dripped in a horizontal position in March in the sand to a depth of ten centimeters. Since there are a lot of sleeping buds on the cuttings , in a month the first shoots will appear. Before planting, cuttings need to be treated with a growth stimulator.
Next, you need to try to maintain the most favorable and mild regime:
- The optimum temperature is 20-25 degrees.
- Good lighting, but without direct sunlight.
To maintain high humidity, the box with cuttings must be covered with a film. Seedlings are sprayed (it is sprayed, not watered) with water at room temperature at least once a day. Plants are transplanted after two to four months. They will begin to bear fruit only in the second or third year.
The best time to plant is autumn (for regions with mild winters). Trees are fed with manure, while adding superphosphate so that there is no oxidation of the soil. And in the spring the earth is lime.
At home, you need to carry out a shaping and healing haircut of the crown. To do this, remove weak, dry and excess branches and give the crown the desired shape.
Since ancient times, olive was grown for the sake of fruits that were soaked and then salted, after which they acquired a very pleasant taste.
What is bonsai?
Very often, culture in our latitudes is grown exclusively for decorative purposes. And therefore, you can safely form a bonsai. European olive has an irregularly shaped trunk, few branches on which dense leaves with contrasting colors are located. In general, the plant is quite beautiful, interesting and perfectly suited for the formation of bonsai from it.
Such a tree will be a decoration not only of the room, but also of the garden. According to reviews of knowledgeable gardeners, we can say that this plant is not very whimsical in care, and therefore you can safely take on its cultivation at home, at least for decorative purposes.
How to form a bonsai?
To form a bonsai, you need to pinch new shoots during the entire period of growth of the tree. This will give an impetus to the appearance of many buds throughout the tree. However, it is impossible to carry out the process at a temperature of 10 to 35 degrees. This can lead to a reduction in leaf size. Young plants pinch up to 1-3 sheets.
When pruning large branches during the growing season, there is a large, vigorous increase in the trimmed areas. Therefore, you need to remove unwanted buds, otherwise there will be too many shoots. Large branches are best removed in autumn or winter when growth is significantly slowed down. Oliva responds quite unpredictably to cutting large shoots.
When forming a bonsai, you need to be careful, because the plant is quite brittle and the bark with wood is very easily damaged. Therefore, you need to carefully wrap the tree with wire very carefully, you should not touch the young branches, less than three years old.
On the basis of European olive, you can get absolutely any style of bonsai. Preferred are vertical and broom-shaped. Spider mites are very dangerous for a plant; they are completely invisible on a tree. They strongly deform the leaves, they begin to curl and fall off in green.
Instead of an afterword
What is European olive? First of all, this is a wonderful beautiful plant that gives wonderful fruits. In addition, it is used for decorative purposes to decorate the home and garden. If desired, European olive can be grown at home and even get fruits. The tree is appreciated not only because of the delicious fruits, but also because of its medicinal properties that have been known to people since ancient times.