Olive Tree: Plant of the Year – 2020’s Fiddle Fig

Olive trees are ancient plants. Archeologists who have found olive pits and traces of olive oil in pottery shards estimate we’ve been cultivating them for 6,000 to 8,000 years.

Not all of us can grow these trees for fruit or oil. They’re hardy only in USDA zones 8 and warmer, and start to die when temperatures hit the mid-teens. But we can enjoy olive trees (Olea europea) in containers indoors, at least for short periods of time. Because they don’t thrive indoors over the long run, it’s best to move potted olives outside or plant them in the ground when the weather warms up.

If you grow an olive as a houseplant, choose a dwarf variety. Dwarf olives can grow to 6 feet, but you can prune them to keep them shorter. Some gardeners prefer to grow these trees as bonsai.

Choose a spot in your home that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, preferably with southern exposure. Avoid letting the leaves touch window glass, which can intensify the sunlight and inadvertently burn olive trees.

Use a large container with drainage holes. Fill it half-full with a good potting mix that drains easily or a sandy mix, such as a cactus potting soil.

If your tree is in a nursery container, turn it upside down and tap the bottom. Slide the tree out and gently separate the roots. Place the tree in the container and add more soil, planting it no deeper than it was growing in its original pot.

Leave about an inch between the soil and the rim of the container so you’ll have room to water. Use a saucer underneath the container to catch drips; sit the container on some bricks or blocks so the water can drain easily out of the holes.

Water thoroughly to settle the soil; when you can stick your finger about an inch deep into the pot and the soil feels dry, it’s time water again. Olive trees grow slowly, especially in fall and winter, so avoid overwatering.

Olive trees are native to the Mediterranean, so they can tolerate dry air. Most won’t need any additional humidity in your home.

Feed the tree once a month in fall and winter with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. When spring returns, start feeding twice a month, or switch to a timed-release fertilizer. Follow the product directions to know how much to use.

Indoor olive trees are susceptible to scale, so watch for signs of these sap-sucking insects. If needed, treat the tree by spraying with insecticidal soap.