The olive tree is one of the most beautiful Mediterranean plants that adorn your home garden and balcony. In summer, the potted plant is quite easy to care for and undemanding and can easily tolerate heat and long dry periods. But in winter it needs protection from cold and frost. With this tip you can get it through the winter even in sub-zero temperatures.
How much frost can olive trees tolerate?
Unlike other Mediterranean beauties, the olive tree is actually quite cold tolerant. It can even survive the German winter outside as long as it is protected from frost. In nature, the trees can easily tolerate temperatures as low as -8° Celsius and can even withstand temperatures as low as -14° for shorter periods.
While the tree trunk and older branches tolerate frost and cold better, the leaves and the 1-year-old shoots are very sensitive to frost due to the high water content. You can freeze to death at -4° Celsius.
For potted plantsThere is also always the risk that the roots will freeze. Therefore, you need extra protection in sub-zero temperatures, but this should only be used for a short period of time.
From this temperature onwards, winter protection makes sense
If the temperatures drop below 0 degrees, the olive tree needs additional winter protection. Proceed as follows:
Avoid frost damage to olive trees in the garden
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1.A layer of mulch protects against ground frost and drought:If it is a garden plant, then it first needs a layer of mulch to protect it from ground frost. Bark mulch, straw and pine branches are suitable.
2. If the temperatures fall below -2° Celsius, you can also take the branches and leaves with youProtect with breathable fleece.However, the olive tree needs a lot of direct sunlight, even in winter. Fleece is therefore only suitable as a short-term rescue measure and should be removed immediately after the end of the frost period.
3. If temperatures are below -10° Celsius, you can use fleece insteadApply bubble wrapand wrap the branches.
Winterize the olive in the bucket
Container plants react due to the small soil volumemore sensitive to frost. They therefore need better frost protection than outdoor plants. Proceed as follows:
1. Place the bucket on a Styrofoam coaster, it insulates and protects against ground frost.
2. Wrap the bucket first with bubble wrap and then with fleece. This will prevent the roots from freezing. If the temperatures fall below -6° Celsius, you can also wrap the pot with jute for young plants. This frost protection can last all winter long.
3. Lay down a layer of mulch to prevent the soil from drying out. Especially when there is frost, the problem is that the plants cannot absorb water from the soil. A huge layer can prevent drying out.
4. Potted plants need additional protection when temperatures are below zero. A breathable and permeable winter fleece can protect these sensitive above-ground plant parts from frost.
Here's how you can save a frozen olive tree
If frost suddenly sets in, even the hardy olive tree can freeze to death. Then the question arises – can my olive still be saved? In principle, the Mediterranean plant can still be saved. Often only individual leaves and shoots are damaged. These should be cut off as long as the frost period is over. Furthermore, you should always wrap the tree with fleece when temperatures are below zero and then unpack it again when the temperatures rise above 0 degrees.
Cracks on the trunk
Cracks on branches and trunks can be treated with wound closure products. You can also wrap the affected branches with winter fleece to prevent further damage.
Frozen roots
If the tree detaches itself easily from the ground, this is a sign that the roots are damaged. Carefully dig up the root balls and remove the substrate. Cut out the frozen areas and repot the tree.
Olive tree loses leaves? The growth layer is damaged
If the olive tree is growing outdoors and suddenly drops its leaves, then this is a sign of damaged growth layer. This is located directly under the bark. Frost damage prevents water and nutrients from being transported from the roots to the leaves. In this case, pruning is necessary to allow the tree to recover. You can only do this after the Ice Saints, when the night frosts are finally over and the temperatures are above 18° Celsius.
