Olive Tree Loses Leaves In Summer: And When Drought Is Not The Problem

Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:29 pm

Olive trees suffer silently. If they lose many leaves at the same time, it is usually a warning sign that mistakes were made in care weeks ago.

The plant needs high temperatures and likes dry soils. It should therefore prefer to spend the winter indoors, like many other tub plants. Otherwise, it is a low-maintenance garden and house inhabitant. When leaves fall off, however, it is a warning sign that the southern plant is not doing well .

Olive Tree Loses Leaves In Summer: And When Drought Is Not The Problem

Plant olive tree

  • Fruit Olive (drupe)
  • Human use since the 4th millennium B.C.
  • Flowering end of April to beginning of June
  • Height 10 to 20 meters

Olive tree loses leaves: wintering mistakes


The olive tree is an evergreen plant. This means, in fact, it does not lose all its foliage at any time of the year. Instead, old leaves are shed regardless of the calendar. Therefore, something is wrong if many leaves fall off at the same time. There can be several reasons for this.

The problem with this is that it is a challenge to figure out what has been bothering the tree, because it is suffering silently. This means that the reason for the falling leaves usually happened several weeks ago. Therefore, it can be helpful to go through all the possible causes one by one.

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Wintering olive tree: dark or light?


Olive trees most often lose their leaves in their winter quarters, and that is when it is too dark for them. Therefore, the tree should be in a room as bright as possible. The temperature is also important. The southern plant does not like heated air. It prefers to do without heat. Up to eight degrees room temperature is optimal. Unheated winter gardens, for example, are suitable for a good light-temperature ratio.

Olive tree loses leaves during wintering: it can still be saved


If there is no bright room for wintering, it works in the cold and dark. Then amateur gardeners just have to be prepared for a tree that will be bare for the first time after the winter. In the dark, all the leaves fall off. But this does not mean the end of the olive tree. It is very hardy and, with proper care, will sprout again in the garden in the spring.

Olive tree loses leaves: too much water causes roots to rot


It is also important not to water olive trees too much. If the soil is permanently too wet, the fine roots rot and the tree can no longer absorb water. If the leaves turn yellow, this is a sign of too much liquid.

Therefore, when planting, include a drainage layer that prevents waterlogging by draining the water quickly. Also, make sure that the saucer is not full of water. For guidance, in winter, water only a full glass every two to four weeks. If the tree is in the dark, even a little less.

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Olive trees lose leaves: harvest in danger


But too little water, of course, is not good. The soil should never dry out completely, because otherwise the root balls will be damaged. If the tree is stressed by drought, wetness or lack of nutrients about six weeks before flowering, there will be fewer olives to harvest in the summer. This is because the number of flowers is then reduced and no fruit develops.

Nutrient deficiencies that cause leaves to fall out in other houseplants such as monstera rarely occur in olive trees. In rare cases, this can also be a cause of leaf loss. Basically, it is recommended to make sure that the pot is large enough and to fertilize once a year between March and September.

Author

  • James Jones

    Meet James Jones, a passionate gardening writer whose words bloom with the wisdom of an experienced horticulturist. With a deep-rooted love for all things green, James has dedicated his life to sharing the art and science of gardening with the world. James's words have found their way into countless publications, and his gardening insights have inspired a new generation of green thumbs. His commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship shines through in every article he crafts.

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