olive 'tree'

Elaine W

Hi, I bought a little olive 'tree' in a pot last year. I live on the south coast but as the winter was so awful, I put it in the conservatory for a while. Nevertheless, it did lose a lot of leaves...Now it's outside and growing lots of new leaves but they are very large- about twice the size of the existing one, and very soft. Is this normal? I was expecting them to be smaller and more rigid. Is it just because they're new? Not sure if I have a problem or not....

Thanks in advance.

Alan4711

Hi Elaine, i think a lot of people think growing figs is difficultand dont try it and really fresh figs takes a lot of beating,but recently i googled figs and found loads of advise ,all relatively the same,i then visited 2 people who actually do grow lots of figs and one whose fig has never fruited,this was cured by re positioning into a Fig pit (google it ) all the info from these people was the same as google,so i took 8 hard wood cuttings as per net advise and all are already rooting in water,its so easy, perhaps the RHS or just google as i did might be very helpful to you and good luck

Alan4711

Elaine W

Alan- this is interesting- but I think you've answered the wrong question by replying to me!! I'm talking about olives!! (You've almost made me feel like trying figs now though!)

Elaine

Bookertoo

Good advice Allan, but Elaine was asking about olives not figs.  

I have had a small olive tree in a pot for about 10 years, it lives outdoors next to the kitchen wall and sort of continues - though never really brialliantly.  i've never seen it exhibit the leaf change you describe, nor have I seen this when in southern Spain, where olives are grown by the tens of millions.  I wonder if the new leaves are coming from the base?  Is it a grafted tree and you are seeing suckers?  Leaves can go very odd on trees for reasons, but this is indeed interesting.  It is of course possible that it has cheered up as you have put it outside, maybe it now gets more water and food?  

Elaine W

THanks Bookertoo,

No they're not from suckers. I've also wondered if it's a response to the weather- or if I've inadvertently overfed it. Just wondered if anyone else had seen this....