Olive Trees Pruning - What Are The Benefits?

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When a new gardening season begins there are many jobs to be performed, but one of the earliest is olive trees pruning. This needs to be done towards the end of the winter period and before the trees begin flowering.

In warmer climates when the risk of frost is minimal it is possible to prune the trees in the winter. However, there are advantages to olive trees pruning just after buds break with inexperienced growers able to estimate the number of flowers and potentially how big the crop.

The point of pruning the trees is that it will stimulate growth and restart the fruiting area of the tree, hopefully resulting in high yields. Olive trees pruning will also:

• Maintain the growth of the developing shoots
• preserve the structure of the tree
• Contain the size of the tree
• Improve light within the canopy and the circulation of air
• Control diseases and pests
• Prevent the canopy from aging
• Clear dead wood

When olive trees pruning, using the right tools for the job is very important with anything used to cut or saw kept sharp so as not to damage the trees. Garden shears can be used on any shoots that is less than an inch in diameter, whilst a hand saw are more suitable for shoots and branches that are to three inches in diameter or more.

Of course if you are dealing with a large number of olive trees with larger branches it may be more practical and certainly quicker to use a chain saw, although you must be sure to wear gloves, goggles and a helmet. Olive trees pruning with a chain saw should only be done by people in good physical condition as it is demanding and potentially dangerous work.

Various factors dictate the way olive trees should be pruned such as the age of the tree, training system, product use, crop load environmental conditions, farm structure and soil fertility. However, there are a few rules that can be applied to most conditions:

• Not every tree in an olive grove needs to be pruned each year
• Start  olive trees pruning at the top of the tree and work downwards
• Make large cuts before pruning smaller shoots and branches
• Cuts that are delayed should be left until the next year
• If in doubt prune less and don't take off too much

There are exceptions to these rules. For example if you are maintaining a grove for its appearance then annual pruning is advisable to maintain a rigid frame and specific shape. However, the frequency of pruning may be dictated by the costs, the age of the plants and the fertility of the soil.

If growth is maintained though, olive trees pruning can be delayed until the next year. Bi-annual pruning is quite feasible in irrigated orchards, fertile soils and where trees have been planted with large spacing between them.

During years of high yield the growth of a tree slows down so olive trees pruning should be reduced to the elimination of weak shoots and water sprouts. However, in years of low yield the pruning should be more vigorous to encourage growth and a better yield in the next year.