Still waiting to take that trip to Italy, Spain, or Greece? If so, you can bring the Mediterranean look to your yard or inside your home! Tending to a lovely indoor or an outdoor olive tree or bush can bring years of fun and delight. The most important tip for olive trees for both indoor and outdoor enjoyment of a healthy plant is the amount and timing of watering olive trees. Olive tree watering is a fine art!
A specific indoor olive tree watering plan is different than if your tree was outside or on a covered balcony. The amount of water it needs depends on where it is located. It is advised that you do not set your indoor olive tree in direct hot sun but give it filtered sun near the west or south sunlight. Newly started or re-potted indoor olive trees require the following special care:
- Let it dry out - Allow the top inch of the pot to dry out in between watering. When it is dry, that is the best time to give it a good deep drink of water.
- Do not over water - Let it dry out in between watering days. It is drought resistant and will be fine if you miss a week or two.
- Use a spray bottle - Mist the leaves to keep them hydrated to mimic their love of coastal climates.
- Sogginess - Do not let the soil on the bottom get too soggy or waterlogged from a pot dish.
As a member of Ask Team Clean, you get access to exclusive offers and the best cleaning tips.
An olive tree balcony location will determine the tree’s watering needs to keep it healthy. Again, the watering schedule will depend on where you live and the amount of sun, rain, snow or humidity so you will have to experiment a bit. However, there are some great tips to get you started.
- Full sunlight – Find the sunniest area of your balcony, patio, or porch to grow your container olive tree. They will thrive in 6+ hours of direct sunlight. If you bring it inside for the winter, adjust your watering to a drier indoor humidity from the furnace.
- Watering - While some garden plants will tolerate the extra water, the olive tree for balcony living will not! Consistently soggy soil will kill olive trees. Always make sure that the soil has become dry in between waterings. The amount and frequency of watering will not be the same as your indoor or in-the-ground olive tree.
- Soil - Make sure the pot has the best soil that is recommended from where you purchased it, and make sure the drainage is good. Repot when you feel that the root ball is too constricted – usually every 2-5 years.
Olive trees planted in the earth are very drought resistant; however, they still require water to survive.
- When establishing an olive tree, keep the soil moist, yet not saturated.
- Water an establishing olive tree once weekly for the first year or anytime the top 2” of soil becomes dry.
- After an olive tree is established, deep watering once monthly is sufficient.
- Reminder – olive tree watering on a schedule is your #1 priority for a healthy outdoor tree.
We hope you enjoy our tips for watering olive trees for your outside trees as well as your indoor olive bushes or small trees. Don’t forget to check out our other DIY TIPS about cleaning and gardening such as how often to water yucca plant, getting your Christmas cactus to bloom, and the best rubber tree care.
Make sure you register with Ask Team Clean to get more advice and rewards sent to you!