I’ve been growing an olive tree for a while now, and let me tell you, figuring out the watering situation has been a real journey. At first, I was all over the place – sometimes I’d practically drown it, other times I’d forget about it until the poor thing looked like it was about to give up the ghost.
So, I rolled up my sleeves and started experimenting. Here’s what I did:
- Observation: I started by really looking at my tree. I mean, getting down and checking the soil, feeling the leaves, the whole nine yards. I noticed that when the top inch or so of soil felt dry, the leaves started to look a bit dull. That was my cue.
- Deep Watering: Instead of just sprinkling water on the surface, I started watering deeply. I made sure the water soaked all the way down to the roots. I figured this would encourage the roots to grow deeper and make the tree stronger.
- Frequency Adjustments: I live in a pretty sunny area, so I found myself watering more often than I initially thought. During the hot summer months, I was watering every few days. In the cooler months, I scaled back to once a week, sometimes even less.
- Drainage Check: My olive tree is in a pot, so I made extra sure it had good drainage. I didn’t want the roots sitting in water, because I read that can cause root rot. I also noticed that the tree needed less frequent watering when I had the drainage right, so I checked the drainage of the pot once every three months.
- Sunlight: The last thing I did was to move the tree to the place where there was the most sunlight, and make sure it can have at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.
After all that trial and error, I finally got the hang of it. My olive tree is thriving now – lush green leaves, healthy growth, and it even started producing olives last year! It’s all about paying attention to your tree’s needs and adjusting accordingly. Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can.
My Watering Schedule
- Spring: Deep watering once every 5 days.
- Summer: Deep watering once every 3-4 days.
- Autumn: Deep watering once every 5 days.
- Winter: Deep watering once every 7-10 days.
Keep in mind, this is just what worked for me. Your olive tree might need something a little different depending on your climate and setup.
