When to pick olives in South Africa

If you understand the basics of when and how to select olives from your olive tree, harvesting olives may be simple and enjoyable.

Developing olives

Pests and diseases are an issue in areas with summer rainfall that have high temperatures and humidity. To enter rest and begin flower growth, the olive tree needs a substantial amount of winter chilling; otherwise, the tree will stay vegetative. No fruit will be borne if the maximum daytime temperature in June and July exceeds 21°C.

However, cold has the potential to cause significant losses to olive trees, particularly young trees, shoots, and inflorescences. Temperatures of minus 7°C can cause the death of entire trees. Compared to other varieties of fruit, olive trees are less vulnerable to wind damage.

Olive Growth Requirements

The soil must have been prepared for the olive before planting to a depth of at least 80 cm and be well-drained and well-aerated. Shallower soils will produce less, whereas damp or saturated soils can cause hypoxia and root illnesses in trees.

Because of their limited ability to retain water, very sandy soils need considerable management in terms of irrigation and feeding. Heavy clay soils (those containing more than 35% clay) should be avoided in favor of stony soils, particularly those with a lot of gravel.

Harvest Period

The cultivars’ harvest season and ripening period in comparison to other cultivars, other fruit types (where applicable), and other management techniques.

Depending on the climate, olive tree harvesting could start as early as late August and go until November, area, variety, and preferred level of ripeness are all Important. The level of ripeness is significant and affects the timing of harvest because they are harvested for both eating and processing into oil.

Olives ripen in between 6 and 8 months, with some table olives being taken while still green and others, like Kalamata, being left until they are completely ripe.