According to Garden Media Group in the US, 2023 gardening trends see an increased interest in Greek influences.
Many of our customers inadvertently, but wisely , I would say are asking for more and more low maintenance and drought tolerant plants for their gardens- plants that would flourish in a Mediterranean style climate. We do not live in the Mediterranean , however we do have many plant varieties that offer the same attributes suited to more arid conditions.
And with this year's Grecian inspired gardening trend, you will see a whole lot more terracotta pottery and what better plant to put in such a pot is my new plant love - an Olive tree - talk about a Mediterranean influence!
So here are our top tips to successfully grow a realtively non demanding tree at home both indoors and moved outdoors for the summer.
- Place it in a spot where it will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, such as a south-facing window. Because olive trees are native to the Mediterranean, they can tolerate dry indoor air and usually won’t require additional humidity.
- Plant your tree in a large container with good drainage, and use a potting soil mix that drains easily, such as a cactus potting soil. The addition of bark is helpful as it is coarse and lends itself to excellent drainage.
- Olive trees grown outside are not heavy feeders and as such do not require a lot of extra fertilization, so a gentle feeding with our Evolve All purpose fertilizer 3-1-2 monthly during the months of active grwoing April to Sept is all that is needed.
- Before moving your tree outdoors again in spring, wait until all danger of frost has passed, that is, wait until the night time temps are consistently above 14 deg C and allow it to acclimate by gradually exposing it to more sunshine. So consider shading the olive tree when you bring it out reather than having it sit in full sun on day 1 .
- Olives will love full sun during the summer - it can be your new favourite patio plant!
- unlike citrus plants, Olive trees produce fruit on the previous year's growth so do not prune your olive tree much, only to shape it slightly.
Now that you have these tips, you should be able to enjoy a statement plant both indoors and out, for years to come!
