Is my olive tree hardy? - That's how he gets winterized

The olive tree, as a "character plant of the Mediterranean flora" does not necessarily agree with the German climate, especially when it comes to winter hardiness. In the article you will learn what is important and what you can do to make your olive tree hardy and winterproof. Similar to the value of a property, the winter hardiness of an olive tree depends on location, location, location: location of the region of origin, location of the breeding site and location of the location in your garden - and the rest makes the right winter protection:

The origin of the olive tree variety

The region where the variety of olive trees has developed, which they want to buy, gives a good part of its winter hardiness.

Not a single olive tree has developed in a region where the climate is as unruly as ours. The wild olive naturally occurs in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and South Africa, today's cultivars are grown in many parts of the world - where the climate-friendly character plants for Mediterranean climate then prove to the climate grower that these places really do Mediterranean climate prevails.

Where olive trees grow, it is warmer everywhere than here, but warmer to a fairly different degree. These "heat-loving genes" are in the olive tree, no matter where it is currently growing or growing.

If you are looking for a winter hardy olive tree in Germany, then you must first buy a variety that has not just developed in the extreme south of the original habitat of olive trees. An overview of which variety comes from, there is "profile", also the dealer should of course be able to provide appropriate information.

The rearing of the olive tree

Then it depends on where the olive tree was raised. This place can be far to the south, in Holland (warm greenhouse) or very close to you, a nursery for olive trees. You can figure out for yourself which breeding place gives your olive tree the best chance of surviving the winter in your garden.

Buy root-grade, non-grafted olive trees, which increase your chances: Even if everything would freeze over once, such olive trees could drive out of the root again. Avoid high stems, which are difficult to protect in winter. Olive trees for planting should be allowed to grow without cut in the first years, for stable roots and optimal plant frost protection (starch and sugar deposits).

If he is with you, you should prepare your olive tree for frosty times:

• Perfect care increases the resistance, in the "alienating" olive tree even more important than the native wood
• Put the young olive as early as possible into the open, as late as possible
• Every year a little earlier / later
• The temperature in winter quarters can be lowered a little each year
• Until the olive tree hibernates outside in the big tub, gradually getting lighter
• If he (at your place) has developed a thick trunk with thick bark, it can be planted out
• The farther north you live, the thicker ... the better must be winter protection

The location in your garden

should be as "cuddly" as possible:

• Weinberglage to a south or southwest slope or similar climate
• Depending on the variety, good to very good wind-protected location, some varieties should be very wind-sensitive
• So protected from the wind that winter protection does not fly away
• As full as possible and in the warmest microclimate your garden has to offer

Tip - There are several olive tree species that are known for their high tolerance to cold, these are presented in the "profile". On www.mainolivenhain.de/Docs/Vorbilder.html#Geschichte you can read but also that such olives have already flabbergasted in German free-range groves. Therefore, it is worthwhile to investigate every single variety of their "German history". However, it is certainly more difficult to create a whole olive grove than to pass a single olive tree in the garden.

The olive tree in winter happiness

What your olive tree after optimal selection and preparation still missing to survive the winter happily, you must and can provide as a gardener:

• Until it's big and hardy enough, the olive tree must hibernate frost-free
• Perfect would be a barely heated conservatory
• Alternatively, the young olive winters in the bright stairwell or another cool side room
• At some point then well packed outdoors
• As packed, the article "Olive tree overwinter" described, for olive trees in the tub and for winter protection in the bed
• Alternative for olive trees in the garden: Burst heating coil, which warms the roots if necessary

Tip - With the warming of the climate, the olive tree is getting closer and closer to the German garden, and attempts to establish olive trees north of their home in the wild are becoming more numerous. In German regions with USDA hardiness zone 8a this could work, but in Germany there is also climate zone 6a, an average of 20 - 23 ° C minus, if there is still much moisture, the Olive Siberia would be more beautiful ... in such places of residence have only bucket Olives a chance.