In general, the olive tree is a very frugal plant. As a true hunger artist, it even gets along without any fertilizer at all. therefore, a little sensitivity is required: too many nutrients damage the tree more than too few. The trees are at home in Tuscany and in the entire Mediterranean region, where they thrive very well even in poor soil. If the tree has enough water, it hardly needs more. It is therefore necessary to have a sure instinct when fertilizing.

Fertilize olive tree

Only fertilize sporadically

The olive tree needed in the first three years no fertilizer at all during its growth. During this time, the trees develop their typical robustness. After that, fertilizer is only used during the growth phase: Between April and September, the tree develops new leaves and branches and grows. During this time he needs more nutrients. The tree is dormant between October and March, so you should definitely not fertilize it during this time. The tree absorbs the nutrients together with the water from the soil.
With the new substrate, a freshly repotted olive tree initially has sufficient nutrients available for a few months. You don't have to fertilize the tree until later.

Since the trees in the pot or bucket only have a limited supply of nutrients, even the frugal olive tree cannot do without fertilizing in the long term. However, it does not necessarily have to be special olive tree fertilizer, home remedies will do the trick too.

Fertilize with home remedies

Mineral fertilizers are often dosed so high that the olive tree is over-fertilized. The optimal mix looks like this:

  • 20% nitrogen
  • 15% potassium oxide
  • 5% phosphate
  • 2% magnesium oxide

In addition, there is a certain density trace elements important: the tree needs boron and iron, copper and molybdenum, manganese and zinc. Most liquid fertilizers for Mediterranean plants contain such a mixture, but should be dosed very carefully. Alternatively, you can use organic fertilizer. The following home remedies are suitable as fertilizer:

horn shavings

Horn shavings from the trade are well suited, but cost money and do not smell so pleasant. If the olive tree is in the living room, it is not so cheap. If the olive tree is outdoors, horn shavings are a suitable fertilizer.

Work horn shavings into the soil

The shavings are placed in the ground between March and June. 80 to 100 g of it are spread out per square meter and worked lightly into the soil. However, the shavings contain quite a lot of nitrogen and few other nutrients, so combining them with compost makes sense.

compost

Light compost is a good home remedy. You can turn this off Coffee grounds, tea grounds, quickly rotting plant waste and the like produce yourself and costs nothing. Compost is spread between March and June: You should put the compost about three to five centimeters high on the ground and then work it in.

Plant manure for the olive tree outdoors

Plant manure smells very strong, which is why it is only partially suitable for olive trees in buckets. In order to produce a nutritious nettle manure, about one kilogram of young nettle leaves should ferment in rainwater for 14 days. The mixture is stirred regularly and then roped off at the end. Then the liquid manure is added to the irrigation water in a ratio of 1:10. It is enough to apply this mixture once a month from March to August.

Other home remedies

Pure coffee grounds are not enough to fertilize the olive tree. A garden compost with mixed plant waste is more suitable. You can also fertilize olive trees with pure chicken manure. The manure contains everything the tree needs and is easy to obtain. If you don't keep chickens yourself, you can ask friends of yours. However, bird excrement smells even worse than horn shavings and is therefore more suitable for fertilization outdoors.

Liquid fertilizer for Mediterranean plants

As an olive tree fertilizer, any liquid fertilizer for Mediterranean plants is suitable. Even citrus fertilizer is perfectly fine. Compo and Cuxin, for example, have this liquid fertilizer in their range. Chrystal fertilizer sticks for Mediterranean plants are also suitable. The manufacturers indicate how exactly the fertilizer is to be dosed. The information is also completely correct for olive trees. Every two to three weeks you should add the liquid fertilizer to the pot together with the irrigation water. A small dose of well-sifted compost on top of the earth is also good for the tree.

A cheaper alternative is horn shavings. While this isn't specifically advertised for Mediterranean plants, it also contains the nutrient mix that the olive tree needs. The organic fertilizer has another advantage: it is not so easy to overdose. You have to dose liquid fertilizer very carefully, otherwise the tree will suffer.

Olive tree outdoors

Some areas of Germany are blessed with a mild climate that even allows olive trees to thrive outdoors. The Rhine Valley, for example, is warm enough, and some places around Lake Constance are also suitable. Olive trees in the field need even less fertilizer than the trees in the tub, because the nutrient supply is simply greater.

Liquid fertilizer for Mediterranean plants is unnecessary outdoors. The trees will thrive if you mix some compost into the soil around the tree in spring or early summer. There really is no need to fertilize more. Nitrogen or other fertilizers are not good for the tree. If the soil is overfertilized, the trees develop long, thin branches and bear little or no fruit.

over-fertilization

Yellow leaves are a warning sign

The olive tree usually has silver-grey leaves. If the leaves turn yellow, this is a warning signal. The tree then usually suffers from too much waterlogging, fungal attack or another disease. In very rare cases (if there is a lack of care), the yellowing of the leaves can be an indication of too little nitrogen in the soil. Before adding any nitrogen, all other causes of yellowing should be ruled out by careful examination! Nitrogen can be added with a small dose of liquid fertilizer.

Quick help in case of over-fertilization

If you overdo it with fertilizer, the olive tree will reward you: the leaves turn yellow or brown, the branches are long and thin, the fruit yield decreases and the tree becomes more susceptible to diseases. There is no home remedy for over-fertilization. Should this actually happen, the substrate must be completely replaced, and as soon as possible. Then the tree will recover.

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Garden plants