Gerry Tan asked :We planted three different olive trees a few years ago - they were of the cooler climate type and flourished, but haven't had any successful olives yet. What am I not doing to them - how will they bear fruit? Perhaps Ealing ain't the best place for them - any opinions please?...As you've got three varieties this should ensure cross polination, although evidently they do self pollinate as well provided theres a bit ofwind ocassionaly.Other than that, according to the experts, its mainly a question of temperature to get any flowers at all"In order to initiate flowers and fruit, olive trees need a two-month period of cold weather (with temperatures below 10°C (50°F). They also need a fluctuation between day and night time temperatures...[cool rather than cold I'd say therefore]andProlonged cold weather (below 7.5°C or 45°F) can also inhibit fruit production.https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=138................................Now while such conditions might seem a bit narrow,presumably that's the exact weather profile of those countries in the Med, parts of Spain and Greece where olives grow in abundance. Whereas here in the UK, you'll be lucky to get the odd season where the temperatures are just right. It might be possible to grow them under controlled conditionsin greenhouses, but given that they're so easilystored and exported in their own oil - as by theancient Greeks and Romans probably nobody everbothered.Once you've got flowers, and the flowers which areself pollinating with a bit of wind - no insects neededaren't killed off by a hard frost then provided they'rewatered you should get fruit.So to sum up, you need a bit of luck with the weather. Without that there's nothing you can do.michael adams...
Michael Adams ● 3890d