Greek painter Theophilos

Italy sells the most of olive oil, Spain had the most and Greece has the best 

Factors that influence the olive oil aromas positively and how much can we modify them

The most fundamental factors for the best olive oil both in terms of chemical composition as well as organoleptic traits are:

First: The olive variety and the tree's DNA, the tree's quality. Trees of the same quality may produce olive oil of different quality even in the same olive grove. A Koroneiki olive, when situated in its "natural habitat" e.g. Messinia, will produce netter oil than its counterpart that grows in Thessaloniki.

Second: The time of the year we will gather the fruits (raw, mature, etc).

Third: How clean is the olive fruit itself (from olive bee etc).

Fourth: To have a proper transportation in plastic containers of medium size.

Fifth: To have a proper oil extraction with correct timing during kneading, about 35 minutes, and proper temperature, around 27 degrees Celsius, in order to retain its nutrients and aromas. Its possible that a hot pression factory (always in 27 degrees) will give us better quality olive oil than a cold pression one, provided that the operator of the first is better than the second one.If it does not form a sediment and forms a transparent gel that is a product of some emulsification, an error has been made in the mill, eg a long cooking time of the oil mill.

Sixth: to properly store the olive oil in 15 degrees Celsius at max and that the storage tanks have nitrogen.

These are the fundamental factors for me personally, for a  good quality oil.

There are secondary factors such as the soil and the climate.

Southern Greece (Messinia, Lakonia, Crete) is famous for its olive oil, however olive oils from Pilio, Corfu, Alexandroupoli and Mitilini have also been awarded. The sunnier a place is the more aromaticthe olive oil, provided that the fundamental factors are also taken into consideration. From there, if the soil is calcareous, the olive oil has a more intense aroma. We should not deprive the soil from its nutrients and not "spoil" the tree. Moreover, do not over-fertilise. Our fertiliser gives bigger fruit and possibly holds more water, but the flavor is found in the smaller olive fruits.

The Sensory and Aromatic Profile of the Koroneiki variety in Messinia, Greece

Supported and financed by: • Interna2onal Olive Council • Captain Vasilis Founda2on • Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry Department – Na2onal and Kapodistrian University of Athens • Mul2chrom Laboratory • Kalamata Olive Oil Taste Laboratory

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How to prune an olive tree

First we cut the branches (to their full length) that begin from the base of the trunk, in order to prevent them from growing again.

 If we cover them with soil there is a possibility that they don't grow back due to loss of light. Then we prune those that exist in the tree so that it looks like a cup. We leave 2 to 3 branches in the tree to provide some shade and prevent more branches to grow until the next pruning session. I personally prune them one month before blooming season (April) and the second time i prune them after collecting the olive fruits, which means October.

We want the branch ends to be the same everywhere so there is no competition for the highest point. We don't prune the tops completely because they serve as guides for the tree and its juices. The olive tree absorbs minerals from the soil and produces juices from its leaves through photosynthesis. As the leaves are higher than the tops, so they receive more light, we do not completely remove all tops, in order to have more photosynthesisa and consequently more juices. When a top has 2 or 3 branches, we usually remove the two or the middle one because we want to achieve better photosynthesis on one hand but on the other hand we want the tree's strength to go to the bottoms (where the tree produces its fruits) not the tops. An ideal ehight would around 2,20 to 2,70 meters but some farmers leave them more. It has to do with the distance between the trees and if we use biological or chemical fertilisers. We look at the tree from outside and we thin out the young shoots on the same branch.

 If a branch falls on another, we remove it. We also remove older branches (their skin is visibly older and they lack some leaves) as well as those that are dry or appear to have a disease (slightly darker),

Branch without leaves

 It would be advisable to leave a younger branch to grow before removing an old one, as the new will replace it. When three small branches grow out of a larger one, we cut the middle one to reinforce the other two.

We don't cut a small branch in half if it is alone. We either cut its total length or not at all. The only case where we cut it in half, whether it's old or standing, is when there is a large gap in the tree's top and we want to fill it, so we cut to the "wrong" direction (up or sideways when it overlaps another branch). We cut it like this in order to make it grow shoots left and right (towards the right direction) and create one or more pinafores. A very low and "woody" pinafore will make collection of the olives more difficult because we will have to bend in order to enter it. We remove it just when a new shoot grows for strength and possibly provide us with a new pinafore. The aim of pruning is to make the tree have better lighting and aeration for health and fructification reasons. You need to keep in mind to thin out the branches between them as if a bird of medium size would have room to sit. Heavy pruning is performed once every 4 years except for the case we see that it is needed more often, e.g. every 3 years. During the years in between we prune lightly or a bit more depending on the variety, always aiming to good aeration and lighting. Sudden pruning will provide us many more new branches in the following year but the trees will not fructify. For example, if they were 5 meters tall and we suddenly prune them to 3 meters they will not fructify and it may take them 2 to 3 years to do so. 

Tree filled new branches from sharp pruning

A large incision without spreading a special paste loses the trunk to its bark.

There must be a symmetry in the tree's shape. Anything that breaks it must be cut. Pruning is always advisable but we may choose not to do it if we wish so for a year, whatever the consequences. A general rule is that we prune a tree more when it has not fructified and less when it has, because it has given its nutritional elements for fructification so it needs more leaves for photosynthesis in oredr to produce even more nutritional elements. We do not prune branches that have fructified unless they are sick or old. Pruning during spring is better than during winter because it rains less during spring and the tree will shoot less during that time. It's highly unlikely for the tree to fall sick if we haven't prubed it for a year. We don't prune during night or if the temperature is about to fall to minus 5 degrees Celsius (it's best not to prune if the temperature is 0 in the morning, this means that at night it will be even lower), if it rains or if the atmosphere is humid. For the prefecture of Thessaloniki, pruning is performed during November (provided that the weather is cold and the trees have "rested" until April 10th).  As far as the branches are concerned, we either pile them in lines and with the cutting machine, then with the milling machine we cut them before inserting them in the ground, after pruning, we spray the trees with copper.

Pruning of olive tree, Chalkidiki variety

The pruning is Art

CUT ALL RED BRUNCHES.CUT BLUE BRANCH IF IS OLD OR SICK SO GET STRONGER PURPLE AND MAYBE GIVE US DOWN WAY BRANCH

DIFFERENT CHOISES PRUNING OLIVE BRUNCH

Olive grove and nitrogen fixating plants

Olive oil and health

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Partnerships

Greek olive oil the best olive oil globally.

Vetch is a leguminous, nitrogen fixating plant for nitrogen addition to the olive grove after its routing in the soil. Weeds do almost the same thing when routed in the soil but leguminous plants offer the most nitrogen par excellence when inserted in the soil. "Dung me or plant me"

The insertion of vetch is performed when is bloom.

Bumblebee on a bloomed vetch.

Manure.

It would be advised not to add molasses because it attracts olive fruit flies.

The more profitable fertilizations for olive is chemical, manure and  boron.Nitrogen fixating plants,compost and integration of branches from pruning in the soil are of secondary importance and not necessary.

The best manures that you can use are:

1) Droppings chicken stock only packed  because packed not burns the olive tree.

2) Cow.

3) Sheep manure.

The manure is better incorporated into the soil than to remain on the surface.

When the olive oil is «turbid» and viscous, it probably comes from cold pression. The right temperature is found at the mixer T3 = 28,3^o C  (it's the closest temperature to 27^o C)

The left olive oil that is transparent comes from  hot-pressed extraction. The right one is «turbid» comes from cold extraction, which is more spicy and healthier.Both olive oils are from the same olive trees.The olives are gathered 14 and 15 October 2017.

Benefits Olive Oil

Olive oil is medicine

The olive oil contains high concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids as well as many bioactive elements such as oleocanthal and oleosins. It augments the HDL levels (good cholesterol). Polyphenols from olive oil protect cells from oxidative stress and free root. They protect from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and skin ageing. The best olive oil is the one from unripe olives/green olive oil which contains the most antioxidant substances.

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Biological or conventional farming for our olive trees and fertilization, sprinkling, watering, varietie, insemination

Biological or conventional farming for our olive trees?

Biological farming of olive groves provides us olives - olive oil with much more polyphenols. It does not necessarily produce tastier fruits. Dry olive groves produce olive oil of better quality but dry trees do not prosper, which means they do not sprout anymore, making them less productive. The tastier fruits are usually harvested by mountain olive groves (250-400 meters of altitude, as there is less humidity) and calcareous soil (so the soil composition plays a major role but with less productivity). There are other factors as well, such as the microclimate (dry and warm is the best). This explains why Greece produces better olive oil than Spain or Italy. 

Another factor is the weather. During a year, presence or absence of olive fruit bee infestation and the farming procedure. Biological protection from this bee is effective when their population is average to low. In larger populations the best protection is the chemical one. Chemical fertilization produces more fruit but of lesser quality. If the biological fertilization has covered the nutritional needs of the tree and the soil, the chemical one offers nothing more. The best fertiliser is manure and it is used since the ancient times. 

Hydro-fertilization is absorbed faster and probably better for our olive trees. Watering with water that is enriched with manure is particularly nutricious. It is very important to add boron to the soil every three years. Open three holes, 15 cm each, vertical to the tree, insert the boron and cover it. This helps in fruit setting.

Once every four years you should apply copper fungicide paste on the trunks. Ask your agriculturist about the ideal age of the trees eligible for application. Depending on the consistency of the soil, it would be wise to sprinkle your olive grove with lime powder. Marble powder is not advised because it may come from chemically processed marbles.

Single fertilisers are better than complex (because they provide the trees the nutrient they need at the right time), however they are more difficult to be applied and need time - work - extra salaries for workers as they are applied 2 or 3 times. Consult your agriculturist about fertilisation of your olive grove, but i believe that using half or 2/3 of the chemical fertilisation will produce fruit of bigger size. The fertilising elements will probably be absorbed during the second year (at that time the changes to the tree or the darkening of the leaves or new vegetation will be become apparent). 

Even if you performed the best possible fertilisation, if the weather is not ideal the trees will not fructify during blooming). It would be good for our trees to dig holes of 10-15 cm next to the tree, insert hay and cover it with soil. The hay will prevent development of weeds for one to one and a half year. In addition, with its decay it will provide our trees with nitrogen and its roots with warmth. In case the trees have bloomed and there are hot/dry winds together with high temperatures, make sure to water them as much as possible in order to same as many as possible flowers. In general, we do not interact with the trees during blooming.

In the end of April, just before the blooming period, water the trees if it hasn't rained. 

Cut the weeds beneath the olive trees when they approach to bloom, because as it is known, the olive is fertilized with air. So, in order to ventilate the olive tree and under the branches, the weeds must be cut under the olive tree to facilitate the fertilization.

Just before the inflorescences bloom, when their color change from green to yellow, spray the trees with foliar boron. During summer, it would be advisable  to water the trees two or three times for six hours in order to help the tree acquire new plantation and achieve maximum productivity for the next year compared to not watering them at all.

Olive trees without watering August 2017

20 days later after rain and temperatures have fallen

You should know that the most gourmet-spicy olive oil comes from dry olives. Professional olive oil makers water their edible olives 5 to 6 times during summer for 5 to 6 hours, in order to achieve the best commercial size. Lastly, beware of over-fertilising as it results to less production. If your leaves have dark green color then your soil lacks nothing and it does not need fertilisation. The best way of assessment for nutrients in the soil or olive trees is soil analysis and leaf diagnostics. Olive groves surrounded by carob trees (also found in northern Greece) or have caper plants around them, they have less olive fruit bees. Olive trees rarely flourish next to pine trees. Aromatic plants and pine tree forests do not influence the oil that much as for its aroma. The major factors for quality olive oil are: the fruit that is free from olive fruit bees, its transport to the olive press the very same day and its proper modification to oil. The best biological shield against olive oil bees is to spray the trees with kaolin. However, when the fruits are taken to the press, they must be washed thoroughly in order to avoid traces of kaolin in the olive oil.

Spraying for Chalkidiki variety

2014

February   copper

March        copper + remedy for cycloconium

April           spraying for acarid only if we want the fruit to be edible. If we spray, the oil's quality is not affected.

May             moth + foliar boron, just before blooming when the olive inflorescences change from green to light yellow

June            moth

July             10 or 20. Spraying against olive bee. 10 may be omitted if there is no humidity and no olive bees have appeared

August         olive bee

September   olive bee

September copper

End of September olive bee and duration of pesticide must be calculated so nothing remains on the fruit itself

October        or November after the fruits have been gathered, copper

December     just before Christmas, copper

Consult your agriculturist to define if the copper will be fungicide or hydroxide

During humid days we add a  special glue together with the pesticides in the tank

Spraying during winter must be done when temperature is over 7 degrees Celsius and at 10 or 12 o'clock in the morning, not 8:00.

There is also a second session of spraying for olive acarid, but i don't know when it is performed because i  am interested in olive oil and not the olive fruit. You may ask your agriculturist about it.

Reaming the olive grove or not

Many claim that an olive grove must not be reamed in order to avoid hurting the small roots between the olive trees themselves. No means of farming is cure-all. My personal point of view is that once a year weeds must be destroyed and once every two years the olive grove must be reamed (if the inclination allows it).

This way we do not interfere with the soil all the time but also we do not abandon it either. The pros of reaming are four:

1) The soil is aerated (we break through its solidity

2) The water circulates better when it rains

3) We destroy rodent tunnels (there are rodents that feed on olive trees roots and lead to its destruction)

4) In case of fire in a neighboring farm chances of the fire transfered to our olive grove are diminished.

Weeds must be cut either with a special machine either with a scythe once or twice every year to prevent them from absorbing the nutrients and not cover them.

Soil

The soil of an oil grove is not uniform in its consistency. In some places it may be softer while 5 to 10 meters further it may be not. A more solid cannot be easily improved by man (e.g. to make it softer). Maybe he could soften it up to a depth of 10 to 15 cm by adding manure. This is better for garden plants and less for olive trees, as their roots go a lot deeper.

Olive varieties and fruit setting

I will refer only to three varieties (from Chalkidiki, Megaritiki and Koroneiki) as i know them better from experience and have discussed with other farmers and agriculturists. The variety from Chalkidiki has a more fragile flower than the other two and it needs more ideal conditions to produce a fruit. The Megaritiki produces easier and Koroneiki even more from the other two (but as it is smaller, it is more difficult to collect).

Varieties - olive oil/olive fruit ratio

Koroneiki: 3,5 to 4 kilos of fruit produce approximately 1 kilo of olive oil

Chalkidiki: 5,5 to 7 kilos of fruit produce 1 kilo of olive oil

As far as green olive oil is ocncerned (fruits collected from 15 to 30 of October): 9 to 11 kilos of fruit produce 1 kilo of olive oil

First collection oil (fruits collected in September): we need 15 to 20 kilos of fruit to produce 1 kilo of olive oil.  Its best not collect the fruit if it has rained some days earlier (if we plan to produce oil) because the fruit bloats (higher concentration in water). This means that when separating the oil at the press we will have greater losses in oil, less quantity of oil and at the same time, we have greater costs of production because workers gathering them are paid per kilo collected (about 0,20 Euros per kilo). Moreover we have more costs for transport. 
We don't collect olives when it rains because we increase the risk of carcinoma of the tree.

Fertilisation

If you have plants around your olive grove that block the wind, do not expect the tree to be fertilised because it needs wind for this

OLIVE OIL SMELLS FROM

a) between nose and mouth grade 3

b) mouth grade 4

c) from the chin grade 5

(d) from neck grade 6

e) from the chest grade 8 

t 

MOST IMPORTANT GREEK VARIETIES FOR OLIVE OIL

TSOUNATI OR ATHINOLIA

 perhaps even more selective olive oil than that of the Koroneiki but less productive variety

KORONEIKI

world wide variety of fine olive oil

KOLOVI

fine olive oil

 AGOUROMANAKO

 fine olive oil

 But to get extra virgin olive oil, remember that you need a good olive press and the improvement you will taste in your olive oil will be great.

LIANOLIA CORFU

very good olive oi

MANAKI

very good olive oil needs attention to oiling and storage difficult to find correctly due to errors


THROUBOLIA
Very good olive oil


KOTHREIKI
Very good olive oil

 ADRAMYTTINI

very good olive oil

LEFKOLIA  SERRON

very good olive oil

MARONIA or MAKRIS

gives very good olive oil due to the low temperatures prevailing in the area

 GALANI METAGGSIOU

 very good olive oil a little better than Halkidiki

CHALKIDIKIS

very good olive 
oil

WILD OLIVE

in itself it does not excel it does not have a good balance between bitter spicy and fruity. It is excellent to work in blends with other olive oils

AND WE WILL SEE


And remember to love the olive trees, watch them, observe (quantum), talk to them, and they will reward you !!!

2800 years old olive tree variety Makris

Santorini fossilized wild olives 50,000 - 60,000 years old
http://www.musioelias.gr/el/node/89

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