Description
The Frantoio Olive Tree is a popular variety for home growers because it can be used green for oil, or picked when black to eat fresh or for pickling. Frantoio Olives ripen to a deep burgundy or black color, and the trees will produce fruit without a pollinating paired tree. They can be grown in the ground in USDA Zones 8 to 11, or in a container in Zones 4 to 11.
Frantoio Olive Trees reach a full-grown height of 25 to 30 feet, but container grown trees stay smaller. Whether you grow your Frantoio Olive Tree in the garden or on the patio in a pot, you can keep it smaller by pruning. If you live in a colder climate, grow your olive tree in a container and move it indoors in winter. The versatile Frantoio Olive is a good choice for either in-ground or container growing.
Olive Tree Care
Plant the Frantoio Olive Tree in well drained soil and in a location that gets at least 6 or more hours of sunlight per day. While the Frantoio Olive is self fertile, you can increase the yield by pairing it with the Arbequina Olive Tree. Be sure to space trees at least 10 feet apart. Water your newly planted tree every other day, or when the soil is dry down to 2 inches below the surface.
Remove any dead branches, and prune after all fruit has been picked, but before the tree blooms again in spring. A grafted Frantoio Olive Tree planted in the ground that receives adequate sunlight and proper care can be expected to produce fruit within 2 years. The Frantoio Olive Tree is adaptable to a variety of soil types as long as the area drains well.
Fruit & Harvesting
The Frantoio Olive Tree blooms in spring and will produce olives that are ready to eat or press for oil when they are green in September, or when they are black in November. When the juice from the olives is milky (not clear) they are ready to use. Olives can be picked by hand and stored in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks once harvested. Refrigeration can extend the shelf-life of fresh olives, and there are many methods and recipes for brining olives to make the popular preserved olives used in recipes, drinks, and as a healthful snack.
At the end of the growing season, be sure to harvest all remaining olives from your Frantoio Olive Tree. This will ensure that the tree has a vigorous bloom the following spring, and a heavy crop.
Advice
For Frantoio Olive Trees growing in the ground, keep the base of the tree free of weeds, grass, and fallen branches. You can mulch the area beneath the Frantoio Olive Tree with shredded tree bark mulch, raked leaves, or hay. Do not stack deep mulch against the tree’s trunk. As the tree matures, reduce watering to once or twice per week.
Fertilize your Frantoio Olive Tree with fertilizer formulated for fruit trees once every three months in spring, summer, and early fall. Stop fertilizing for the months that fruit appears on the tree, then resume at the end of the fruit season. Always water fertilizer in well, and use the recommended amounts indicated by the fertilizer manufacturer. In addition to fertilizer, you can add compost to the tree’s base. Organic compost delivers slow, gentle nutrients that help grow sturdy, vigorous Olive Trees.
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