The little Provencal and Mediterranean side of the olive tree makes it an ideal perennial plant to bring warmth to your home. This small tree can be placed just about anywhere: in the garden, on the terrace, on the balcony, in the living room, on the veranda… as long as you respect its needs. Sometimes the olive tree loses its leaves.
The leaves of the olive tree have a lifespan of 2 to 3 years. It is quite normal that some leaves turn yellow and fall off. This is not a disease. A leaf that turns yellow due to the renewal of the tree’s foliage is a uniform yellow.
The olive tree loses its leaves because of lack of watering or because it froze during the winter. If the olive tree loses its leaves in summer or autumn: It is usually due to lack of watering or peacock’s eye disease, leaf regeneration.
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Why are the leaves on my olive tree falling off?
The olive tree has an evergreen foliage. It usually regenerates every three years when new leaves appear in the spring. The olive tree loses its leaves for several reasons. Seasonal changes are among the main factors that cause this problem.
Olive tree leaf loss in spring
If you notice a significant loss of olive leaves in the spring, it is probably due to overwatering. Indeed, during this season, we tend to think that our plants need more water than usual. It can also be Peacock’s eye disease, a fungus characterized by concentric spots. When the plant is affected by this disease, its leaves turn brown and fall off.
Olive leaf loss in autumn and summer
When the leaves of the olive tree fall in autumn or during the summer season, it is certainly because the plant lacks water. Dehydration inevitably leads to this disorder in olive trees. If you are sure that you have hydrated your shrub correctly, it is most certainly leaf regeneration.
Olive tree leaf loss in winter
Winters can be so cold that we sometimes bring our plants inside to warm them up. If you have brought your olive tree indoors in a place that is too warm, too dark and too dry, its leaves may fall off. This shrub does not tolerate heat and needs light to stay healthy.
Frost also causes olive tree leaves to fall off during the winter. This plant can’t stand to stay in a place with a temperature below ten degrees for long.
Will the leaves grow back on my olive tree?
Of course, it is possible to make an olive tree that has lost its leaves grow back, but before doing so, you must know the reason;
The olive tree loses its leaves because of lack of watering or because it froze during the winter. If the olive tree loses its leaves in summer or autumn: It is usually due to lack of watering or peacock’s eye disease, leaf regeneration.
Since water cannot penetrate the soil (which must be very dry to achieve this result), operate with an underwatering: you let your pot soak in a basin of water at room temperature until the soil becomes wet again.
How to avoid leaf fall in your olive tree?
It is quite possible to avoid leaf fall in your olive tree. All you have to do is maintain it well. As olive trees are resistant plants, it is not difficult to take care of them. Nevertheless, you must adopt the right techniques and avoid certain actions.
The right place to plant the olive tree
The olive tree doesn’t need much to grow well. You can plant it in almost any type of soil. In fact, this tree can handle clay soils, sandy soils as well as limestone soils. You can perfectly grow your olive tree in a pot. Nevertheless, the question of humidity is to be taken into account when you wish to cultivate this plant, whatever the way you are going to proceed.
In order for the plant to flourish and for you to enjoy its berries, dry air and soil that is not too humid are more than enough. In order to ensure its well-being, the use of a nutritive supplement is not to be refused and can even promote its growth. You can find these products at most botanists.
Watering the olive tree
The preference of the olive tree for drought does not mean that it does not need water. On the contrary, you must always avoid dehydration in this plant to avoid losing its beautiful foliage. It is imperative that you water your olive tree properly. To avoid the risk of asphyxiation, it is recommended to avoid stagnant humidity. Rainwater is to be preferred during watering even if you can perfectly water it with cold or warm water.
Therefore, it is better to use rainwater during the rainy season. You should water the olive tree just after planting. Watering at night or very early in the morning is the most recommended. The frequency of watering depends on the age of your olive tree. A young olive tree should be watered every week while an old olive tree should be watered every two weeks.
The choice of fertilizer
Young plants do not need fertilizer. In addition, in order to promote their growth, the use of this type of product should be avoided. Young plants are defined as olive trees less than 5 years old. You can use fertilizer on older olive trees, whether they are 100 years old or not. If you are growing your tree in an urban environment, a light application of slow-assimilating nitrogen fertilizer is recommended.
You can sprinkle this fertilizer 4 ft from the trunk of the tree in March. Otherwise, a few grams is more than enough for the plant to thrive all year. If you are growing the olive tree on garden land in the country, you can use horse manure as fertilizer. This method only needs to be renewed every three years. It is very economical and ecological. This organic matter will help the plant to grow well and preserve the qualities of its leaves.
