Olive tree (Olea europaea)

If an olive tree is not cared for properly, its branches will become bare. Here only the outer branches are green, the branches inside the crown die off. A radical pruning is needed here to rejuvenate the tree so that it will sprout again.

In a nutshell

  • an olive tree is bare from the inside in the crown
  • usually when it has not been properly cared for and trimmed for several years
  • a radical cut helps to new shoots and better growth
  • dead parts are lost to the tree and must be removed
  • always use sharp, clean and disinfected cutting tools

Causes of baldness

If the olive tree (Olea europaea) receives a regular annual pruning, then it usually does not have to be pruned radically. Such a cut should therefore be avoided if possible. However, one possible cause for an olive tree to become bare is if a so-called educational pruning is not carried out regularly, ideally once a year. This pruning involves trimming the crown into shape and removing dead branches and twigs on the inside as well. If this annual care is missing, then the tree, which is actually evergreen, will become bare:

  • inner branches are completely devoid of leaves, glabrous
  • old twigs and branches inside die off
  • new shoots with leaves only on the outer part of the crown
  • Overall, the tree looks dead
  • no longer decorative

Tip: To determine whether the branches inside are actually dead and completely dead and not just need a little light to form new leaves, you can do the vitality test. To do this, scrape the bark a little, if it is green on the inside, the twig is still in the juice. Dead branches are dry through and through.

The right moment

It doesn't matter which cut the olive tree is, the right time should be chosen for this. And so it is advisable not to carry out the radical cut every season, but to wait for the right time for it:

  • cut during hibernation
  • just before it comes to the growing season
  • this ensures a new shoot
  • the tree has plenty of time until next fall
  • new shoots are strengthened over the summer
  • Cut wounds can close quickly
  • best time therefore end of February or beginning of March

Tip: In contrast, other small prunings, such as a maintenance pruning, in which only a few small bare and dead branches of the olive tree are removed, can also be done in spring or summer.

Required tool

To ensure that the tree is not damaged when cutting, it is important to choose the right tool. This must meet various requirements so that it does not damage the olive tree. Depending on the size of the wood, pruning shears, a pruning saw and a chainsaw can also be used for a large bare olive tree:

  • Cutting tool always sharp
  • otherwise interfaces will fray
  • Clean and disinfect cutting tool before cutting
  • use pure alcohol from the pharmacy for this purpose
  • also treat supposedly clean tools from the shed beforehand
  • bacteria, viruses or fungi could adhere to the cutting surface
  • get into the tree when cutting via the interface
  • the entire crop can be damaged from the inside

Notice: The olive farmers on the Mediterranean cut back the main branches of the old olive trees about 50 centimeters radically down to the base of the trunk with a chainsaw. Then the trees can sprout again and produce more high-quality fruit.

manual

If a radical pruning is necessary because the olive tree is diseased or bare from the inside due to lack of care, then the following step-by-step instructions should always be followed:

  1. Check bare olive tree branches and twigs for vitality.
  2. All shoots that are already bare at the bottom although they still have a green tip at the top are removed. Also all dead branches and shoots. These are cut back to the trunk. When cutting, it is important to ensure that the cutting surface is vertical or inclined. Then no water stays on the surfaces that could damage the tree if it penetrates.
  3. check stem. If this is also already dead, then it must be sawed off directly on the ground at the base. In this way, the olive tree can form new shoots from below and a new trunk can be drawn from it. A saw should always be used for this cut.
  4. In a healthy tree, small wounds heal by themselves. For large cut areas, it is helpful to use tree wax from garden retailers. Especially when the tree is bare due to disease. In this way, the sick tree can recover better and does not have to put all your energy into closing the wounds. The wax is simply distributed on the cut surfaces according to the manufacturer's instructions.

frequently asked Questions

Can I prevent my olive tree from bare?

With the right care and a small cut every year, you can certainly prevent balding. Because if you remove old, broken shoots immediately, the tree can immediately sprout again in these places and there is no bare growth.

Why is a radical pruning necessary for the olive?

If the twigs inside the crown no longer form leaves and there are only leaves on the outer shoots, then a radical, so-called rejuvenation cut should be carried out, because firstly, bareness damages the appearance of the tree, but vitality also decreases. In such a case, hardly any new shoots are formed, since the tree has to send all its strength through the old shoots in order to form new ones. After a cut, the olive tree can sprout again directly on the trunk.

Can I do something wrong with the radical cut against baldness?

If the olive tree is already bare on the inside, you can't do much wrong with a radical pruning. On the contrary, the pruning-tolerant tree can put enough energy into driving out the new, fresh shoots, which can quickly sprout out of the old, remaining wood.

Do I have to make further cuts after the radical cut?

If the olive tree was pruned radically, it is now important to ensure that a training pruning is carried out regularly so that the crown grows dense again. Crossing shoots inside the crown are removed. Longer growing shoots are also shortened so that the crown can form a nice shape.

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Garden plants