Olive Oil : olive cultivation

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