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How to grow an olive tree from an olive pit, it has never been as easy as this


The olive tree is a Mediterranean plant, which grows very well under the scorching sun that allows its fruits to ripen quickly and give a fantastic oil, easily recognizable with a delicate and precious flavor.

Olive oil is the yellow gold of the kitchen, no dish can be prepared without this fantastic ingredient. Producing it directly at home is not only a way to save a lot of money,  but also a great satisfaction.

If you want to try to grow an olive tree at home, you must first figure out how and what to do because it is still  a life that you must know how to take care of in some way.

Olive tree, how to make it grow well?

The olive tree grows well in areas where the climate is temperate, but in winter the temperatures should not drop  below zero, otherwise the plant dies. Care and a lot of patience are the main ingredients that allow you to obtain good results.

By following very simple guidelines, you can grow beautiful plants first in pots and then in your home garden. The first thing you should do is choose the tree you want to grow because there is not just one variety of olive tree, there are several plants of various types spread all over the world to choose from.

Some are similar to each other, while others have small differences that have to do with the flavor or color of the fruit. Cultivation techniques and also fruit ripening times change  depending on the type of plant.

In Puglia there is, for example, the Bella di Cerignola, the Cellina barse, the Cima di Bitonto, even if they are all located within the same region, since there is a slightly different climate from one area to another, each of these plants  can give totally different results.

That is why it is advisable to do a little research to understand which is the best olive tree for the area where you live, so as not to make mistakes, not to spend too much money, time and patience on something that may not give you what you would like.

How to plant the olive tree from its fruit

Then the fruit is collected from the tree and the olives are placed in a bucket, the pulp is broken to remove it from the stone, the olives are left to soak  , stirring the water from time to time  because in this way the pulp is removed. more quickly.

The bones are then recovered and the skin remaining on the surface is removed. After doing this, rinse the stone with hot water for a few minutes, if this fails it is advisable to use sandpaper. At this point, the end of the stone is cut, which  is pointed on one side and blunt on the other.

The blunt part should be cleaned with a knife. The shell must not be broken because otherwise the seed risks becoming unusable. Hazelnuts are soaked for 24 hours in water at room temperature, then a vase is filled with soil. You can use a large vase or a small one depending on what you have.

The seeds are sown delicately into the soil, making sure  that three-quarters are covered  and no more because the sun must have free access, this is important because the rays stimulate germination. At this point the pots are covered with a plastic bag, recreating a kind of greenhouse and placed on the windowsill.

Germination and transplanting of seedlings

Germination occurs within a month. You must remember to water the soil while maintaining constant humidity; if the soil dries out, the plant dies, so before adding water it is a good idea to check. You may not even need it. If the first 6 mm are dry, it is advisable to give water, otherwise not. Excessive amounts of water can cause  bacterial proliferation that destroys the seedling. 

Once it has sprouted, remove the bag, leave the plant free and continue watering as normal. When the time comes, that is, when the olive tree has grown 18 cm, it can possibly be transplanted in autumn. Once the tree is buried, it is watered as usual and then its growth is monitored.

After a few years you will be able to harvest beautiful olives. There are trees that bear fruit after three years while others  need at least 7/12 years. 

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