The life cycle of plants is governed by perfect natural balances, which are generally focused on the simple perpetuation of the species. However, the farmers’ specific development and production objectives can be very different from the spontaneous ones of plants.
Pruning is an operation to support the plant, regulating its growth, strengthening it and helping it to achieve optimal fruiting. Olive trees, but also fruit trees, shrubs, ornamental plants, vegetable gardens, vineyards and small bushes require well-executed pruning operations to improve their aesthetics as well as the quality of their production.
Anyone involved in olive growing, therefore, needs to know the basics of this essential intervention, its purposes and the rules for carrying it out in the best possible way.
What is olive tree pruning and what is it for?
The term “pruning” means all the operations that accompany the development of a plant, bringing it towards specific goals, defined by the olive grower according to his needs. There are numerous reasons that make this type of operation fundamental, first of all its ability to positively stimulate the yield of the olive groves.
In fact, pruning can promote the luxuriance of the plants and the vitality of their branches, as well as the quality and size of the fruits. Targeted crown thinning interventions are also an effective strategy to allow optimal penetration of the sun rays into the fronds and keep the trees in full health.
Well pruned plants are more resistant to attacks by pathogens and parasites, adverse climatic conditions and external stress. Also, not to be underestimated is the aesthetic contribution of pruning, which gives life to beautiful and balanced olive groves.
Pruning of the ornamental olive tree
A separate mention should be made for the pruning of the ornamental olive tree, which requires specific precautions and techniques to be carried out in the best possible way. The olive tree is an evergreen that can also be grown for ornamental purposes according to the bonsai technique. Basically, this type of plant must be pruned to contain its growth and adapt it to live in the ground or in a pot, indoor or outdoor.
Pruning, in this case, does not so much aim at improving the productive yield of the plant as at intervening on its shape, adapting it to the desired aesthetics (the most common shapes are ball, umbrella and pom-pom). The techniques, tools and pruning periods for the ornamental olive tree are slightly different from those dedicated to the production olive tree. Knowing their peculiarities allows you to obtain luxuriant ornamental plants capable of enhancing the space in which they are inserted.
The olive tree pruning period
Pruning interventions on olive trees follow a specific seasonality and can be carried out several times during the year, taking the name of summer (or green) and winter (or dry) pruning.
Pruning of the olive tree from October to March
Olive tree pruning is usually carried out during the autumn and winter seasons, that is, when the vegetative cycle of the plant is in its resting phase. The so-called “winter” or “dry” pruning is practiced after the fruit has been harvested (unlike other plants, the olive tree, being an evergreen, never loses its leaves) and the following spring. before the new shoots appear. The best period for this phase is therefore approximately from October to March and the operations must be carried out annually.
Summer pruning of the olive tree
However, there is also a type of pruning which is practiced in summer at the height of the vegetative period and which has the primary purpose of lightening the foliage by eliminating excess vegetation. In general, olive tree pruning in August (or in the months immediately preceding and following) is called “green pruning” and, depending on how it is carried out, leads to different results. In fact, the elimination of sprouts and aftershoots from the branches can favor the vegetative expansion of the plant or an orderly growth of the branches.
When to prune the olive tree in its life stages
Generally, an olive tree becomes effectively productive from the 3rd or 4th year of life and reaches its peak of productivity around the 9th year. The pruning operations follow the age and needs of the plant, to favor both its vegetative growth and its entry into production.
Form pruning is generally carried out in the early stages of the plant life. It sets the shape of the crown and determines, therefore, a harmonious future growth. For example, the pruning of the one-year-old olive tree is linked precisely to the intention of giving the plant the desired shape, whether it is a polyconic vase, a globe, a bushy vase, a single stem with free foliage or a single cone.
This type of pruning also encourages the plants to enter the production phase and may be necessary periodically for several years. In fact, maintenance pruning is defined as the same type of operation performed on mature plants.
Spur pruning, on the other hand, aims at keeping the now thick foliage in perfect condition, maintaining a balance between reproductive and vegetative development. If a plant has never been pruned or has not been pruned for several seasons, it is possible to proceed with a reform pruning, to reshape the appearance of its fronds.
Finally, regeneration pruning removes dry and now unproductive branches, avoiding many risks of disease and infection for the plants. It can also have a curative value, i.e. be carried out promptly if health problems arise.
When to prune the olive tree in its life stages
Generally, an olive tree becomes effectively productive from the 3rd or 4th year of life and reaches its peak of productivity around the 9th year. The pruning operations follow the age and needs of the plant, to favor both its vegetative growth and its entry into production.
Form pruning is generally carried out in the early stages of the plant life. It sets the shape of the crown and determines, therefore, a harmonious future growth. For example, the pruning of the one-year-old olive tree is linked precisely to the intention of giving the plant the desired shape, whether it is a polyconic vase, a globe, a bushy vase, a single stem with free foliage or a single cone.
This type of pruning also encourages the plants to enter the production phase and may be necessary periodically for several years. In fact, maintenance pruning is defined as the same type of operation performed on mature plants.
Spur pruning, on the other hand, aims at keeping the now thick foliage in perfect condition, maintaining a balance between reproductive and vegetative development. If a plant has never been pruned or has not been pruned for several seasons, it is possible to proceed with a reform pruning, to reshape the appearance of its fronds.
Finally, regeneration pruning removes dry and now unproductive branches, avoiding many risks of disease and infection for the plants. It can also have a curative value, i.e. be carried out promptly if health problems arise.
Pruning the olive tree tops
The upper part of the plant has an essential influence on the physiological balance of the olive tree and it is necessary to prune it carefully to favor the growth of the foliage in the central part, as well as correct the lighting and ventilation of the branches.
It is therefore functional both for the production and for the vegetative development of the plant, regardless of the form of cultivation selected. In any case, a tree shall never be totally topped off, to keep its height development active, even if it must be limited in favor of a homogeneous growth.
Furthermore, the height of the olive tree also depends on the harvesting system used, the equipment available to the olive grower and the possibility of using tools with telescopic extension poles.
Olive tree pruning: the tools to use
-To complete successfully any pruning sessions, even the hobby or semi-professional ones, , it is essential to be able to count on high quality standard tools. Each cut made to the trunk or branch must be as precise as possible and without burrs, to minimize the surface that must then heal.
In fact, for the plant, each cut corresponds to a wound that needs to be healed in the shortest time, to avoid the danger of infections or parasitic infestations. Even if a perfectly sharp and performing equipment is used, it is better to cover the cuts with specific products, such as healing mastic, which can speed up the healing of the wood.
Among the tools that cannot be missing in the equipment of every olive grower there are a sufficiently robust lopper and a shear, which can perform clean cuts and avoid defibrating the wood.
If shears and loppers are ideal for pruning branches up to 3-4 centimeters, in the case of bigger ones it is necessary to use chain pruners, which can act effortlessly even on diameters of 15-20 cm.
For green enthusiasts and beginner olive growers, the winning choice could be to focus on tools powered by plug-in batteries, such as those offered by GREEN Line of Campagnola. Instead, professional olive growers can rely on allies which are suitable for intensive pruning operations, such as those of the PROFESSIONAL Line, in electric, pneumatic or manual versions.
Discover the technical characteristics of our Campagnola tools now and take your first steps in pruning relying on the proven quality of our brand.