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Spring so far has been a rollercoaster of weather with sun and unseasonal heat, regular rain, wind from all directions and constantly changing and even some frosts and snow on the hills. What will October bring? The main priority this month is to finish your pruning before flowering. You will notice little clusters growing on last year’s foliar growth. These are mignoles or budding inflorescences which develop into flowers and hopefully future fruit. Make sure these have good exposure to air movement (to reduce disease risk and facilitate pollination) and sun (for growth).  Keep your eyes peeled for leafroller and scale especially on fresh new growth. A small hand sprayer of insecticide can be useful for spot spraying if you find a local infestation. Grass and weed growth is vigorous now so keep on top of it under your trees. Water shoots /suckers at the tree bases are also growing fast and need to be trimmed off before they get too bushy. All of this new growth will just take moisture and nutrition from your trees so it is worth the effort to keep things clear for your trees to thrive. Now is the time for an application of soluble boron spray to help with flower and fruit set later. If you don’t have a spray unit available, a ground application around the drip zone is a good compromise. October is the best month to plant new trees. Ensure new trees are well watered the day before planting, water again once in the ground and stake and secure well. Avoid too much root disturbance over the next 12 months. Olive NZ Grove Focused Field Day
Olives NZ are organising a field day in Marlborough on Saturday 17 October. It involves visiting a local olive grove and looking at management and pruning. It’s a good chance to meet other growers and ask those questions you’ve always wondered about. All olive growers are welcome. Olives NZ members are invited at no cost and there is a nominal fee for non members. The field day is from 10 – 12 midday followed by a shared lunch (bring something to share) and some networking. It’s also a good chance to bring along a bottle of your latest olive oil for a tasting and to broaden our olive oil palates. Save the date and for more information and to register your interest follow the link https://olivesnz.org.nz/marlborough-grove-focused-field-day/
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Spring is here with the usual topsy turvy weather and promise of things to come. The frosty end to winter has hopefully killed off any bugs and the nor’westerly winds will keep things dry and clean. Your olive trees will be starting to show new growth in the canopy but also water shoots/suckers at the trunk base. Knock the suckers off before they get too mature and woody (they will grow fast). Weeds and grass will also be enjoying a spring resurgence. Don’t let them overwhelm your trees. Ensure you keep ground clear under trees as weeds can harbour insects and disease as well as taking nutrients from the soil which should be supporting your olive trees. If you irrigate your trees, its time to check for blockages and leaks and get them fixed before the predicted super El Nino hits in summer Continue with pruning aiming to have it finished in October before flowering. Prune when the weather is dry and sunny and calm. It’s much more satisfying than battling through a damp canopy being blown about by a strong nor’westerly. If your trees require stakes then check the ties are still in a good position after a year of growth and not strangling or restricting new growth. It’s still a good time to get some fertiliser on under the drip zone while we are getting some rain to help it soak in and before we start the summer dry out. Olives New Zealand Grove Focused Field Day Olives NZ are organising a field day in Marlborough on Saturday 17 October. It involves visiting a local olive grove and looking at management and pruning. It’s a good chance to meet other growers and ask those questions you’ve always wondered about. All olive growers are welcome. Olives NZ members are invited at no cost and there is a nominal fee for non members. The field day is from 10 – 12 midday followed by a shared lunch (bring something to share) and some networking. It’s also a good chance to bring along a bottle of your latest olive oil for a tasting and to broaden our olive oil palates.  Pruning should be your major task in the olive grove this month. Pruning can continue right through until flowering in November so it doesn’t all have to be done this month but don’t delay too long as Spring is just around the corner and you will have to contend with a lot more foliage growth then. It is also a good time to get your fertiliser on while the ground is nice and soft and we are still getting regular rain. If you haven’t done a specific soil or leaf analysis for a targeted fertiliser application then a general all purpose fertiliser will suffice and set up the trees for the Spring growth burst and on into Summer. Considerations for Pruning Your first consideration with pruning is ‘How do you harvest?’ because that will determine the shape of your trees. Do you harvest by:
The second consideration is do you want fruit/oil each year? Fruit forms on growth from the previous year and as the tree grows the old growth defoliates in favour of the new leafy fruit bearing branches. With some new growth coming on each year there will always be some fruit from the previous year’s growth but you need to prune to encourage that new growth where you want it. If you want guaranteed fruit each year then you could prune some of your trees one year and some the next then you will always have some new growth coming through. Pruning You will need a pruning saw, loppers and some secateurs. You may even need a chainsaw if it’s a big catch up job! Firstly, cut out all the old barren branches with no leaf. They are doing nothing but taking up space. Reshape your tree with harvest in mind. If you harvest solely by hand then your trees need to be a ‘reachable’ height, so cut down the height first. If you have to reduce the tree height, be brutal. You will lose fruiting branches (and crop for next year) but the regrowth will be abundant and you can reshape more appropriately next year. Remember if you want some fruit next season don’t do all your trees at once. If your pruning cuts are on large limbs use a pruning paste to protect the wound. If using clappers/mechanical rakes then you can let your trees grow higher. If you have tree shaking contractors harvesting with umbrellas capturing the falling fruit then the tree shape should be narrow so fruit falls into the umbrella and not the surrounding ground. The height of the tree is not an issue. Next, get into the middle of the tree and clear out all the crossed over branches, limbs growing the wrong way and things you can’t reach during harvest. The birds love these places to build nests. The centre should be cleared of growth because olives grow and ripen best in the sun so branches should be growing out towards the sunlight. Dense foliage harbours disease and makes it difficult to harvest so keep the canopy light and airy. Your pickers will also appreciate all the fruit being accessible. Lastly, refine the edges by lifting drooping branches off the ground and thin the branches to minimise disease and make the canopy open and accessible. Be careful not to trim off all the new growth as this will be your fruit bearing branches next season. A good rule of thumb is to thin out the canopy so ‘a bird can fly through’ but doesn’t want to stay and build a nest! This also means the wind can blow through, pollen can blow through to fertilise the flowers and leaves can be kept dry and less likely to harbour disease, fruit will also get good sun exposure to ripen. Your trees should look lush, bushy and green not grey, sparse and woody. Good pruning will set up your trees to be the best they can in the seasonal variance that occurs ever more frequently now. Care for your trees with a bit of good pruning every year and they will produce well each year for a long time. They are worth it for the gorgeous oil you can enjoy so easily all year. It’s a wrap!! The Press is closed. Olive harvest is over for 2026 after a good season. There was plenty of fruit out there and the season got off to an early start with fruit looking quite ripe. Oil percentages were around 15 – 18% at the start but after our mid harvest rain they seemed to drop back to 10 -14%. The trees were very dry going into harvest and sucked up the moisture from the rain which plumped up the fruit with a lot more water. That water is lost in processing so the weight of fruit to oil volume extracted changes the ratio and the percentage drops. As well as our regular growers we have had many new growers bring in fruit for the first time. It is pleasing to see more people making the effort to harvest trees they have long ignored so they can enjoy their own olive oil. Spread the word, if you know of people with trees, let them know how easy it is to have your own local olive oil so they can be prepared before next season. Referring people to our website (olivepressmarlborough.co.nz) is a good start. You will have noticed that your olive oil was quite cloudy when you picked it up. That is the suspended sediment from the pressing process and will settle over time. It’s a good idea to let your oil sit somewhere quietly in a cool, dark place to settle for a month after processing. Suspended sediment tends to degrade olive oil faster so if you are keeping it for any length of time this settling process is important. It is also important for long term storage for olive oil not to be in plastic. Although you may have collected your oil from the Press in food grade plastic even this, over time, will degrade and taint the oil. Long term storage should be in stainless steel or glass bottles. If you can’t wait, it doesn’t matter, the Italians love their Olio Nuovo (new oil) straight away and prize it for the vibrant green colour, grassy-peppery flavour and the high concentration of polyphenols. Enjoy your oil. 
Shareholdings If you have shares that you are not maximising or no longer need it may be worthwhile selling some. We are constantly being asked for shares by new growers or others wanting to expand their shareholding to cover increased volumes. If you want to downsize your share portfolio, contact us [email protected] and we will send the appropriate paperwork. Alternatively, if you want to buy some shares when they become available, please fill out an Application for Shareholding (on our website) and we will add you to the list of people waiting for shares. Harvest is in full swing in Marlborough. There seem to be good crop levels and the early fruit appears quite ripe yielding oil percentages between 14 – 18%.
The Press is fully booked up into the first two weeks in June but there is space later in the month. Our Booking Co-ordinator is working overtime juggling requests for space and answering queries from new growers. We have a large number of growers on our database so that equates to many emails to be answered. Please be succinct when you email with your request for a booking and have all the information there first up so it saves much to-ing and fro-ing with emails. The essentials to have in your email are: A completed Supplier Declaration – we cannot process fruit without this (food safety requirements) An estimated volume of fruit – this is essential for fitting you into a processing slot. We can only process a certain amount of fruit on any given day. Small grower combined pressings (for volumes under 300kg) need careful organisation to achieve sufficient volume. A preferred delivery date – this is the starting point and will depend on bookings but we try to oblige. Whether or not you will be taking your pomace waste away. It is presumed you will, but if not, we need to know as the waste stream is different. When you deliver the fruit you will need to bring in your completed Supplier Delivery/Collection Declaration along with clean and appropriate receptacles for your oil and something to take away your pomace waste. All clearly labelled. Appropriate Receptacles for oil are: food grade plastic or stainless steel storage containers. Ideally these should be a minimum capacity of 5 litres as it is very fiddly and time consuming to fill smaller containers. Glass is unacceptable. We will reject inappropriate or dirty receptacles. Pomace Waste containers: these should be leak proof and large enough to hold an amount equivalent to your fruit volume. They could be the container you bring your fruit in if appropriate. Pomace is sloppy so a lid may be useful. If you are unable to take your pomace you will be charged a waste fee on top of your pressing fee. Leaf blowing: please ensure your fruit is as clean as possible. If it is full of leaf, twigs and other debris it will have to go through the leaf blower and you will be charged a fee for this. Excess leaf will be identified at weigh in. Remember all this information and links to the documents needed are on our website olivepressmarlborough.co.nz Happy harvesting. We will see you at the Press. May is the beginning of harvest season. Continue monitoring your fruit for ripeness and get organised for harvest.
Pressing fees and other costs Despite prices rising everywhere in these unsettled times we have decided to keep all our fees at the same level as last year: Non Shareholder pressing fee $1.75/kg plus GST Shareholder pressing fee $1.25/kg plus GST Leaf blowing .50cents/kg plus GST Pomace Waste disposal .10cents/kg plus GST Bookings The Booking Co-ordinator will be taking bookings from Monday 4 May. To secure a booking you need to first read the Supplier Responsibilities form. Then email [email protected] with your completed Supplier Declaration form, an estimated volume of olives to be delivered and a proposed date for delivery. This will then be negotiated with the Booking Co-ordinator to fit the pressing schedule and ensure all olives are pressed in a timely manner Olive Press Opening We will be pressing olives from Monday 18 May. Kings Birthday weekend is early this year and is usually an exceptionally busy time. If you want to pick that weekend then you will need to get booking early but be aware that we may not be able to fit you in. If you can avoid picking that weekend then that would ease the demand on the Press hugely. The Press will be open all of June and into early July depending on demand. What to remember when using the Olive Press This is a community facility on private property. It is a busy place during pressing season. Please respect the place by coming and going according to your booking, parking where you are told and vacating the site promptly for others to manage their deliveries. Stay in the designated areas. You are not allowed in the Press area or surrounds. Only the parking/delivery area and the Office. Bring your Supplier Delivery/Collection form with you. Ensure your delivery bins are labelled to reflect the name on your booking. Bring your olive oil receptacles with you when you deliver your olives, all clearly labelled. The pomace waste receptacles should also be delivered at this time, be leak proof and of course clearly labelled. You will be contacted when your oil is ready for pick up. A Pressing receipt will accompany your oil. It is a record of your delivery volume, pressing date, volume of oil and extraction percentage. If you have multiple picking and delivery dates you will need a Supplier Delivery/Collection form with each delivery. All this information and forms are available on our website olivepressmarlborough.co.nz Olive Harvesting services and General Maintenance We have been approached by someone offering services for olive harvesting and general maintenance fully equipped with all the necessary tools to carry out this work efficiently. For more information and enquiries please contact directly Raphael Zyla R.Zyla Contracting Phone: 0272302141 or email: [email protected] As Marlborough embraces Vintage 2026 its time to start thinking about the next big harvest in Marlborough – Olives The weather has settled into autumn with lovely sunny days but cooler nights and shorter days. That sunshine will help your olive ripen and bulk up that flesh and oil content. Preparing for Harvest This month is your final chance to tidy up under your trees. The withholding period for sprays/contaminants on or around your trees is 60 days prior to harvest so that means no spraying of weeds, no grazing under trees (because of droppings)i.e. sheep, horses, cattle and chickens. Your Supplier Declaration requires disclosure before pressing. Now is the time to think about what you require for harvest – people, equipment, collection and transport of olives and storage of oil.
Assessing Olives for ripeness Over the next few weeks your olives will begin to change colour from bright green through yellow green and then into purply green and ultimately black. The fruit will change from hard, firm flesh to a softer feel, yielding when squeezed. The colour of the inside pulp will also change from green/cream to a tinge of mauve which will ultimately track all the way from skin to pit. The riper the fruit the higher the oil content and the more mellow the taste. To achieve a balance between maturity/oil content and flavour be guided by the Colour Maturity Index below  Trees seldom ripen evenly so a mixture of colours is to be expected and usually produces a good flavour profile. Some green olives will give lower oil content but more bite, bitterness and brightness, some blacker olives will have more oil but a softer flavour and the purple olives will be somewhere in between. Nature often does the work for us with flavour blending so if your fruit is a mix of olives at 3 to 6 on the maturity index you should have good tasting oil and a reasonable oil percentage return.
Summer seemed to finally arrive in the later part of February with some lovely sunny days. The nights, however, are already cooling off. Into autumn and shorter days but maybe more settled weather and some lovely calm, sunny days. Olive trees really need a good dose of sun on the canopy to grow and mature the fruit. Olive trees this year haven’t had the dry, persistently hot conditions of previous years and they don’t have the heavy crop load of last year’s bumper season so they should be looking healthy. The more humid conditions this summer may have made trees more susceptible to fungal disease, most commonly, peacock spot. Peacock Spot will first appear as small sooty spots on the leaves upper surfaces. These small spots will become a dark green to black colour as they increase in size and on some cultivars develop a yellow halo around them. Infected leaves will fall prematurely. The fungus weakens small shoots and twigs and this loss of small fruiting wood will ultimately affect production. It may take 2-3 years to become apparent so keep an eye out for yellow circles on the leaves. A few affected leaves will not compromise the trees but if you are concerned this is increasing in your trees then a spray with copper mid to March can help clean things up. Growth has been strong this year in both trees and weeds growing well and lawns still green. Clear out under your trees now. Get rid of basal shoots before they harden off. They will take energy from the tree and also potentially harbour moisture and disease. The same goes for weeds and grass, keep it short under trees. It also helps with airflow to dry off foliage as we get into damper, autumn mornings.
If you are irrigating your trees now is the time to cut it back as moisture loss reduces in these cooler days. Olive trees like moist soil but not wet feet. Harvest is still a long way off yet with a lot of fruit growth needed in between now and June. The flesh will be plumping up and growing that oil content. Watch your olives grow in size over the next three months. You don’t have to do much else. In the April newsletter we will notify pressing rates and fees for the 2026 season along with how to assess olive maturity. In May we will publish our season start date and information about the booking system to get your olives pressed. The first two months of Summer have thrown everything at us. Hot dry winds and scorching temperatures, gloomy overcast days with endless drizzle and then occasional downpour days with a rapid drop in temperature. Your trees will think its more like spring than summer. Fruit set should be very clear now. After an abundant flowering Marlborough seems to have a rather patchy spread of olives. Some trees have no fruit while others have a sparse spread over the canopy. Fruit size seems to be larger than normal for this time of year probably because of the rain we have been getting intermittently all Summer leaving Marlborough much greener than usual for February. There are definitely not the bumper cropping levels of last year but then your trees could probably do with a less demanding season.  Nevertheless, it’s still worthwhile nurturing your trees to maximise their fruit load. Do a summer tidy up removing those niggly basal shoots, unruly or rogue branches and anything that looks out of place. This will ensure the fruiting canopy gets the best light, nutrients and air movement to minimise disease. Also minimise the weed growth under trees as these will compete for nutrients and potentially harbour disease.
This is a good month for doing a leaf analysis. Trees will be growing strongly now with regular doses of sunlight and intermittent bouts of rain so demands for nutrients will be high. Any deficiencies will be very obvious at this time of year. Yellowing leaves may indicate a deficit of nitrogen and drying out on the tips of leaves may show a lack of potassium. All nutrients are more easily absorbed from the soil when moisture levels are optimal. Demand for water is higher now after the fruit pit has hardened (January) and irrigation will help to bulk out the olive flesh and increase the size of the fruit. If trees are stressed by drought the internal water supply will favour leaves over fruit. Fruit will be aborted to reduce the trees water requirements. Let’s hope we get a little bit of sunny, warm weather for the last month of summer. Usually, the quieter months in the grove, which is just as well with everything else going on over the summer. A profusion of flowering on your trees together with good pollination should mean that the trees are busy developing their fruit. Nice warm days and sufficient water is all they need now. All going well there will be young tiny olives growing on your trees by late January. Foliage growth will also be vigorous over these summer months. Young trees may need restaking/tying if they grow strongly. They are also more sensitive to dry conditions and need good watering until they get their roots down. A good deep water a few times per week is better than a superficial sprinkle every day. It is predicted to be a hot dry summer so be diligent with your watering/irrigation to support all the growth going on. Keep the weeds under control as they will enjoy the watering too. Most of all enjoy the shade of your olive trees at this hot time of year. Pop a chair under a tree to sit and enjoy a good book, spread a rug underneath and enjoy a picnic, take your summertime visitors on a tour of your grove and wax lyrical about the fabulous oil they produce. They may be inspired to come back in winter and help you pick!! here to edit.  Enjoy the summer festive season and your olive trees. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
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AuthorJanine Mayson Archives
October 2026
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