Can Arbequina Olive Trees Stand Humidity?

A Little Tree with Lots to Offer

• “Arbequina” is a slow-growing tree that works well as a long-lived specimen tree or small shade tree near a deck or patio, as long as the olives are picked when ripe. When left on the tree, they will fall to the ground can stain pavement and be a nuisance in high-traffic areas of a yard or garden. On the upside, the olives, black when ripe are worth picking -- they deliver great flavor for eating or making oil.
  Also "Arbequina" is an evergreen tree, meaning you won't have tons of leaves to rake. Because this olive cultivar is self-pollinating, you only need one tree to get olives. The leathery leaves have gray-green tops and silvery bottoms that make the tree look especially pretty in the breeze.

Doubles as a Houseplant

• “Arbequina” is only hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 10 but it handles frost better than other olive tree varieties. It is small enough to be grown in a container cooler areas and brought indoors to a sunny location in the fall. In order for it to produce olives, it must be exposed to a minimum of two months of cool temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Olive trees ((Olea europaea) are considered invasive in some areas.

Humidity Pitfalls

• High humidity can cause “Arbequina” to develop olive leaf spot or scab disease. This is a fungal disease that causes black or green round spots on the leaves. The leaves may also turn red or yellow and fall from the tree, and the spots can form on the olives. Severe infections can cause new young shoots to die. While the symptoms are unsightly, this disease will not kill an otherwise healthy “Arbequina.” Chemical treatment is rarely necessary. The best treatment is to rake up and throw away leaves that fall. Avoid getting the leaves wet when watering, or better yet, water the tree in the morning so it will be dry by nightfall. Proper growing conditions and care will help the tree get through an olive leaf spot infection relatively unscathed.

Happy and Healthy

• “Arbequina” requires a sunny location where it is exposed to at least six to eight hours of direct light each day. The soil must drain very quickly. Slow-draining soil will likely result in root rots. Sandy loam or loamy sand is preferred. The soil must also be fertile. This tree is very tolerant of drought, but it give it 1 to 2 gallons of water every day or two for the first month after planting and 2 to 3 gallons twice each week until it is well established. After the first two to three years, provide 5 to 10 gallons of water every ten days to two weeks during dry periods. Spread 16-4-8 slow-release fertilizer around the tree under the drip line in the spring when the tree begins growing new leaves. Feed no more than 1 tablespoon of fertilizer for each foot of tree height, and follow the package directions.