​The grapes are all harvested so it can rain now!!  There may be a bit of shrivel in your fruit if it’s very dry and a good drop of rain would plump up the olives beautifully.  If you can irrigate then do so as it will help with ripening but not too much or the fruit will just fill up with water and you will get more water than oil in your fruit weight.

Check for ripening on a weekly basis now.  There is a huge degree of difference in ripening between varieties and even between trees. You will have some fruit changing colour to purple already but that doesn’t mean it is ripe to harvest.  As the fruit ripens the oil content increases and the flavours of the oil mellow.  Pick too soon and you will have a low oil yield and a bitter flavour. 

Wait until you see a little of the black/purple skin colour tracking through the flesh towards the stone.  Do this by cutting out a wedge of flesh from a black olive with a sharp knife.  If you have a third of your olives at this stage, a third changing colour and a third yellow/green then you will have a balanced flavour.  If you prefer a mild flavoured oil then aim for more black olives.

Another way of checking for ripeness is to squeeze your sample olives, they should be soft to touch and you can easily squash the flesh.  Green and under ripe olives feel hard to the squeeze test and won’t squash easily between your fingers.

Keep the area under your trees clear of weeds and any other possible contaminants. 
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It’s time to think about getting your harvest crew organised and getting your equipment checked over in advance of harvest.  Exciting!!
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​The rain and overcast days have been a challenge for the grapes but olives have a long way to go yet so you can relax this month.

The temperatures are still warm during the day but cooling off overnight and we are on our way to ripening fruit. You may notice some colour change already but it will be slow and steady if these cooler temperatures persist and trees are well hydrated.

The weeds under tree will be enjoying the perfect growing conditions so keep that area clear.  If you weed spray under tree then get it done before the end of the month as you don’t want any sprays within 60 days of harvest.

Start thinking of what you need for harvest – people, machines, bins, nets, storage.  You should have a good idea of how much fruit you will have this year so gear up as necessary. 

Give your harvesters a heads up and something to look forward to as a social event. We should be through the Omicron wave by harvest time so well overdue for a good social catch up in the open air (just in case). And it’s so easy to social distance around an olive tree!!

Stay safe. Keep well.
 

What a difference a month makes!! 

Olive trees in your grove will be refreshed with ample moisture in the soil now.  The grass has started growing again and the weeds have a new lease of life.  Keep these clear from under the trees.  You may need to spray weeds later in the month as the growth takes off.

Trim off basal shoots/water shoots from the base of the trees before they get too big and start to compete with tree growth.  Your trees should be growing olives at this stage of the year and not new foliage.
With the damper conditions keep an eye out for signs of Peacock Spot and if it spreads, a light copper spray about mid month will help to keep it in check.

As Autumn is upon us you could consider getting new plantings in the ground while its moist and still warm.  They will have a chance to get a bit of growth on before Winter or you could just order new trees for a Spring planting.

Start thinking about planning for your harvest.  You may be able to estimate your crop load by now.  Have you got the equipment you need? Will you have enough pickers?  Are your nets in good condition?

Lots of jobs to do in the Olive Grove especially if you are staying at home during this Omicron outbreak whether it be avoiding exposure or enforced isolation!!  Keep safe.
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Hot, hot, hot!!  What a summer Marlborough is having.  A bit of rain right now would be good though as the olive trees grow their fruit.

Trees will be getting a bit stressed in this very hot, dry weather.  You may notice some yellow leaves on trees. This is the trees natural way of dropping old leaves.  They turn yellow because the tree reclaims the chlorophyll before discarding the leaf (natural recycling) and conserving resources to put into new growth.  Another feature of olive trees is their ability to save moisture loss by leaves turning over and showing their under side to the sun (they look more grey).  This is the tree trying to save moisture loss through transpiration.  This can change very quickly with rain or just a cool moist day but it is a fascinating indicator of the tree working to preserve itself.

Keep watering new plants which haven’t got their roots down deep enough yet and remember a good soak once or twice a week is better than a dribble every day.

Clear weeds from under trees so they are not competing for nutrients and moisture.  The weeds always seem to get in first!
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​We are into a new year of unknowns but your olive trees will be just getting on with what they do best – growing.
 
By now you should have an idea of the crop you will be nurturing through to June.  After an abundant flowering, lots of rain and some blustery days, when everything was in the ‘lap of the weather gods’, you will now have an idea of what has ‘taken’.  Fruit set should be complete with evidence of lots of miniature olives on the fruiting branches.  Take a walk around the grove and assess your promised crop.  Its and exciting time to see all those little olives forming.

The days are hot and dry now so make sure your new trees are irrigated.  Remember that a really good soaking intermittently will encourage roots to go deeper than a dribble every day.  Olive trees prefer to be shallow rooted so won’t go any deeper for moisture than they have to.

Growth is very strong at this time of year so keep an eye on suckers/water shoots and remove them to encourage vigorous cropping growth.  Check stakes as trees put on a lot of new canopy weight.

Time to enjoy your olive grove and have that well deserved summer break with friends and family while we can!!