All stone fruit trees follow a similar order in the way they grow and produce fruit. Deciduous in nature, they often need a partner for flower pollination and require chilling hours to produce fruit, so they are best suited to cooler and more temperate climates. Just before spring, they splash out their blossoms, which signal the imminent arrival of better times. Falling in sync with the order of these trees as they flower and fruit is all part of becoming a hardcore gardener.
Full-sized growing varieties demand a level of space that is usually not available in the small-space garden, so one option is to plant compatible partners together in the same root hole. This will effectively stunt their growth – moderating size – while planting proximity ensure excellent pollination. Otherwise, look for dwarf varieties that self-pollinate or, even better, get a multi-grafted tree that can have two or three varieties on the one plant.
PLANTING
WATERING
In ground: Water daily for the first 2 months while establishing and then cut back to 3-4 times a week in the warm season, otherwise 1-2 times a week during the cool season in the absence of rainfall.
In Pots: Water daily while establishing and through the entirety of the warm season, otherwise 3-4 times a week during the cool season in the absence of rainfall.
MAINTENANCE
HARVESTING
TIP
Olive trees fruit and flower at the same time, meaning your tree will alternate from a bountiful crop one year to a lower harvest the following. Swings and roundabouts.
