Olive tree on the balcony - care in the bucket

The olive tree belongs to the balcony of all people who love the Mediterranean lifestyle and the Mediterranean cuisine. There are many people in Germany, that's why we sell more and more olive trees, which want to be maintained. An olive tree can feel very comfortable on a German balcony, you just have to know what he needs and what he can not under any circumstances. Here are the instructions:

The "Green Thumb": You create the world of your olive tree

A basic element of plant nutrition is photosynthesis; an astonishing as well as chemically uncomplicated miracle: Plants turn energy-poorer substances into more energetic substances with the help of light energy.

The formula for photosynthesis is: 6 H2O (water) + 6 CO2 (carbon dioxide) + light energy = 6 O2 + C6H12O6.

C6H12O6 is glucose, 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogen atoms + 6 oxygen atoms. 6 oxygen atoms and 12 hydrogen atoms from water, 6 carbon atoms and 6 oxygen atoms from the air (carbon dioxide), recorded and converted, the glucose is ready. What remains are 6 oxygen atoms, which the plant blows back into the world via the exchange cells; in three sentences, this is the process by which plants produce air for us to breathe.

The olive tree needs a lot of light for photosynthesis, so in Germany culture on the balcony is the best option.

The plant is not without reason its roots in the earth, they take the remaining substances, which they "to saturation" (healthy growth) needs, also by fertilizer. Fertilization, other care and wintering are described in detail in "Olive grove" and "Olive tree overwinter".

The following special features apply to the olive tree on the balcony and in the bucket:

• He can usually get out a little earlier and be put into the winter quarters a little later than the olive tree on the terrace
• Because on the balcony usually prevails a warmer microclimate
• This little bit more natural light can help an olive tree here with us
• With simple rollers under the pot, it can be well accustomed to cold, because it can be driven in quickly with temperature fluctuations
• So it can be overwintered uncritically on the balcony as a large olive tree ...

Photosynthesis and root nutrition are in fine interplay, depending on the light and microclimate, the olive will need to grow and be protected from the cold (see "Olive tree overwinter"). If you succeed in designing this interaction of many factors, you will be awarded the "green thumb".

The pot: clay or plastic ">

1st clay pot

• Even the material fits better to plant culture, it is caused by weathering of rocks
• Clay is part of many soils, contains many nutrients and increases fertility, also as an aggregate in plant substrates
• Clay-containing substrates dry out more slowly and are easier to moisten again
• Clay pots of clay absorb moisture and evaporate it
• Plants in the clay pot need insignificantly more water
• But the compensation function creates a great climate for plants
• Most people find clay pots much more decorative than plastic pots
• A clay pot ages in style, a plastic pot becomes ugly
• Clay pots can jump at sub-zero temperatures when water in the pores freezes
• But the olive tree winters anyway frost-free, so his clay pot is not too cold
• Even if: A gardener simply turns the coasters of his pots in winter
• So they stand in the winter unprotected outdoors, with 500 pots he has recorded 4 failures so far ...
• Expensive "frost-proof", multi-fired ceramic does not necessarily hold out

2. plastic pot

• Does not evaporate moisture, often shown as an advantage, because so water is saved
  - Whether it really is an advantage is to be examined in detail
• Once the water drain is clogged up, it's the end of wet-sensitive plants like the olive
• Whether it is an advantage of the plastic pot that he should be ground warmer, would also be questioned
• Plastic does not evaporate, but brings the roots of the olive tree to a boil
• Otherwise, the floor has the same warmth as the outer wall, if they are too cold, the olive needs protection anyway
• It is also true that no salt deposits, algae, moss settle on plastic, but they create beautiful patina
• Plastic pots are easy to clean, but only as long as they do not crumble away due to weather damage
• The LCA of plastics is sometimes quite problematic
• Health damage caused by evaporating material can not be ruled out

Tip - Not all plastic life cycle assessments are equally gruesome, but what is certain is that the usual plastic pot is manufactured on the basis of crude oil and thus uses resources that are millions of years old. The product, on the other hand, does not last very long, most plastic flower pots quickly look pretty nasty when exposed to the elements. To do this, they take endless time to decompose, the world slowly smothers in plastic waste, recycling produces dangerous poison - it's time to leave the plastic in the store.