The long hot and dry summer continues in Marlborough.  Olive trees are looking stressed and growth seems to have shut down with trees doing just enough to hang in there until they can revive in the cooler temperatures that March will hopefully bring.
 
Olive trees are quite resilient and try to reduce water loss by turning the underside of their leaves to the sun.  This reduces transpiration (water loss) on hot sunny days.  In the evening when the air cools the leaves will turn back to their usual green facing side.  You may notice trees look pale and silvery on hot days and greener on cooler days.  Very clever trees trying to save themselves.
 
Other signs of stress are yellowing leaves, which will eventually drop, and shrivelled, mummified fruit, as the tree tries to retain as many nutrients as possible and reduce demands on itself. The low crop yields being reported this season may be beneficial in reducing these demands.
 
If you are able to irrigate you trees you will have stronger trees with more growth and better uptake of nutrients - particularly nitrogen and potassium.  Without irrigation you can only hope your trees survive until we have cooler days and some rain.  
 
There is not much else to do this month apart from keeping weeds down (if they are surviving) and trimming off basal shoots which will sap energy from the tree.
 
If you are grazing under your olive trees - sheep, cattle, horses or running free range chickens, it’s time to think about moving them out in time to have a 60 day withholding period before your harvest date.
 
We are all hanging out for some much needed rain.

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Marlborough has certainly had a hot and dry summer so far and given that February usually brings the hottest, driest conditions there may be a few challenges ahead.
 
Although flowering in November seemed abundant it’s not until now that you will have a true idea of actual fruit set.  There should be small green fruits easily visible on your trees which will grow in size over the next four months.  These now will give you an indication of your likely harvest volume.
 
With more hot dry weather to come it’s a good time to remove any basal shoots and extraneous foliage that will sap moisture.  Try to maximise the growth of the fruiting branches and not too much new foliage.  It also helps to keep the trees in good shape for when harvest time comes around.
 
One advantage of these hot, dry days is the absence of disease that comes with rain and humidity.  It’s even too hot for the insects to do much damage but do check young plants which will be more susceptible to leafroller in particular.
 
If you irrigate then do deep watering intermittently to encourage roots to track down.  Olives have a tendency to shallow rooting so avoid daily superficial watering.
 
February is a good month to do a leaf analysis, it is peak growth season so will tell you what the trees are lacking.  You can get sample bags from your local horticultural supply store or online at Hills Laboratories website and order a sampling kit.  This information will guide application of fertilisers after harvest and over the winter when there is more soil moisture to take nutrients down to the roots.  Fertilisers would be wasted now unless you can irrigate them in.
 
Keep cool and enjoy the shade your olive grove can offer on these hot days.

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This can be a time to relax and enjoy your olive grove with most of the work done.

 There should be a profusion of flowers on your trees with promise of a bumper crop to come next year.  So just sit back and enjoy the sight.  It won’t be until late January that you get an idea of the actual fruit set but its fun watching the little fruitlets form over the next few months.

With the hot, sunny days we have started to see, the ground is drying out really quickly so keep the water up to young plants to ensure they can maintain their growth rate.

There will be a lot of soft new growth on your trees so trim that off if it looks excessive or out of place.  It could save on major pruning in winter.

Grass growth has slowed and hopefully the under tree weeds have too.

If everything is in order you should be able to enjoy a wander through your grove with a glass of wine on the mild summer evenings or escort your summer visitors through the leafy abundance of the grove and wax lyrical about the fabulous olive oil you will produce next year.

Enjoy some relaxation and recovery from what seems to have been a very eventful and fast moving year.  Have a fun festive season and happy new year celebrations.  See you next year.
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The Spring weather fluctuations continue to be a challenge but the Marlborough westerly winds have certainly come back with a vengeance.

If you have planted new trees make sure they are well staked and securely tied.  Either fertilise at planting with a good handful of general purpose fertiliser or, if you planted in autumn then, they will be due for some more fertiliser to get them through the spring growth spurt.  Marlborough has been quite well watered over the winter and early Spring but we will dry out so make sure young trees have regular deep watering to ensure they get their roots down to lower soil levels.  Olive trees have a tendency to shallow rooting which can mean that they can blow over easily in high winds when their canopy gets heavy.

Boron will help with fruit set so get that on your trees early this month by foliar spray or, if you haven’t got access to a canopy sprayer then apply a solution around the dripline for the roots to take it up.  It will be a bit slower with uptake but it will still benefit the trees overall.
You should have finished pruning. 

Flowering is beginning to occur.  Look for little buds appearing already and when the tiny flowers burst open keep your fingers crossed for dry, sunny days with a gentle breeze.  Pollen wafts from tree to tree to fertilise so let’s hope all your pollen doesn’t get blown off to your more easterly neighbours in a howling westerly gale.  Rain will also interfere with good pollination with the pollen washed away or just stuck to the flowers.

As always, keep growth under trees clear by mowing or weed control.  Disease and pests lurk in grass and weeds and Marlborough is fortunate to have a very low incidence of disease, unlike North Island groves.  Let’s keep Marlborough olive trees clean and spray free.
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​You know its Spring when the weather changes every couple of days and we lurch from one extreme to another. The classic Marlborough Spring winds have come back with a vengeance after a few years absence and are sure to add to the promised dry weather conditions of El Nino.  Luckily established olive trees tolerate these conditions quite well.

If you are adding new trees to your grove then this is the month to get planting.  Make sure that trees are well watered before planting and water again once in the ground.  Pack in firmly and stake well.  Planting and staking should ensure that the trees don’t need to be disturbed for at least a year so that the roots can establish unhindered.

Keep the grass growth in check under trees either by mowing or herbicide.

The bugs are starting to make an appearance with warmer temperatures so keep an eye out for scale and leafroller, especially on young trees.  A judicious spot spray of infected branches may be enough if picked up early and avoid the need to spray the whole grove.

This is time for application of soluble Boron spray.  This helps with flower and fruit set later.
Pruning should be completed this month as flowering will be imminent.

​Olives NZ announced their annual extra virgin olive oil awards over the weekend and Marlborough has done very well.

Isobel Olives won the Best in Class and Best Boutique category with a gold medal winning blend while also being awarded a silver for the single varietal Koroneiki. 

The RSA Three Services and Faversham Olive Grove each received a silver medal for their grove blends. 

Olive Press Marlborough was one of four finalists in the closely contested Processors awards. 

We obviously produce some very good extra virgin olive oils in Marlborough but we just need a few more producers to enter the competition and raise our profile even more