Olive

Olive develops thick, gnarled, silver-grey bark and a naturally twisting trunk faster than most Mediterranean species, which is why old nursery and collected olive stock is prized for bonsai despite slow growth once in training. It needs a real winter chill to stay healthy and tolerates drought far better than overwatering.

Care at a glance

Watering

Let the top few centimetres dry between waterings; olive dislikes wet feet. Roughly every 2 days in spring, 2 in summer, 3 in autumn and 7 in winter.

Light

Full sun, as much as you can give it.

Winter

Below that, an unheated shelter. Protect it when the forecast drops below -3 °C.

Feeding

Every 21 days, Apr to Oct, paused in the hottest weeks.

Repotting

Every 2 to 3 years, once nights stay mild, in Apr or May.

Growth

Slow growing. Hardy in zones 8 to 11.

The work calendar

Styles that suit it

MoyogiChokkanBunjin

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