The olive tree is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the Mediterranean area - and moreover has shaped the landscape of these regions like hardly any other plant with its gnarled appearance. With good conditions and proper care, the real olive tree, as the olive is also called, can become several thousand years old. Indoor or pot olives often lose their leaves, especially in winter. We will tell you why this is and what you can do about it.

Leaf shedding has many causes

Actually, the olive is an evergreen tree, i. H. it does not change its leaves seasonally as you know it from the deciduous trees native to this area. If your olive sheds more leaves or if they turn yellowish, your tree will not feel well. What your tree is specifically missing, however, is not so easy to find out. We will help you!

Possible reasons for dropping the leaves

If your olive sheds leaves, there can be several reasons behind it.

  • Lack of light, especially in winter
  • wrong hibernation (too warm, too cold, too much water, too little water…)
  • too much water / waterlogging (as a result, the roots rot)
  • not enough water (water from time to time even in winter!)

Make sure there is enough light

In principle, olives are very easy-care plants that don't take offense to their owner/carer. However, they definitely need sun - also and especially in winter! Therefore, dark places such as basements are not suitable for wintering or should only be used as an emergency solution for a short time. It is better to put the pot in a bright but cool place, such as a greenhouse or a stairwell. However, since many olive varieties do not tolerate drafts, you should also ensure a draught-free zone. Well protected in a bright corner, your olive should feel comfortable.

Pour the olives properly

In the home of the olive trees it is quite dry, only in the winters it rains a little more. In addition, olives that have just been planted can develop very deep and branched roots, with which they can still get the smallest bit of moisture out of the soil. For this reason, you should not water olives too often, because the root system is very sensitive to too much moisture and then begins to rot. So if your olive sheds its leaves, you should ideally check the substrate and the roots for waterlogging or signs of rot. In this case, pot the plant in fresh substrate and carefully (!) remove the rotten roots. In winter in particular, it should be sufficient to water the plant vigorously once every two weeks. The soil should be dry before each new watering.

tips and tricks

Olives prefer to overwinter at temperatures between eight and ten degrees Celsius. For this reason, they often lose their leaves when they have been outside over the summer and are finally brought into the heated living room in winter. When the winter temperatures are milder, you can also leave your olives - well wrapped up and protected from the frost - in a sheltered corner (e.g. on the house wall) outside.

Category:

Trees