Advice Needed 15-Year-Old Olive Trees in Pots (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK)

[LastTemplar]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice regarding my olive trees.

I live in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and I have three olive trees that have been growing in pots for around 15 years. They used to have much denser foliage and appeared healthy, but over the last few years they seem to have declined.

The trees are still producing some new growth and have flowered, but they have become quite sparse with lots of bare branches. I’ve also noticed that some of the leaves have irregular damage around the edges.

The pots contain strawberries and other ground-cover plants which have gradually spread over the years, so I’m wondering if competition for nutrients and water could be part of the problem.

I will attach three photos.

My questions are:

1. Do the trees look salvageable?
2. Could they be severely root-bound after 15 years in pots?
3. Should I repot them into larger containers with fresh compost, or would planting them in the ground be a better option?
4. Is it safe to prune them now, and if so, how much would you remove?
5. Does the leaf damage look like a pest problem, disease, or something else?
6. Would you recommend removing all the strawberries and other plants from the pots?

Any advice from people with experience growing olives in the UK, particularly in northern areas, would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

 

[DiggersJo]

You have done well to keep those up there in my native land, well done. From what I've seen (abroad) the poorer conditions the better they do, but they do also feed them and keep the weeds down, and of course they are in the ground. Saying that there is no reason they can't be in a pot. I would try with the worst of the 3 to slide down a long old fat blade all around and then try to lift the entire thing out the pot, even if only part way you will see if it is root bound. I would also look for grubs, especially vine weevil with strawberries present. Might be worth digging away around one of the strawberries and lifting it and soil around it onto an old compost bag or the likes and look for "C" shaped cream grubs.

 

[Sheal]

Or it may be easier to turn the pot on its side and pull it out.

 

[angelo]

I live in Italy now and have a tree also in a pot it's roots are I must say relatively root bound but it dosen't seem to have much effect on the growth, it also produces around a large jar of olives each year which I treat with caustic soda and brine solution and are very good.
Ps a nitrogen based fertilizer is good for them.

 

[Meadowlark]

By the way how did your poinsettia turn out @angelo ?

 

[Sheal]

@LastTemplar I noticed you have put your postcode in your location. For your own security/safety it would be best to remove it and maybe use your county or city instead.

 

[evan23]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice regarding my olive trees.

I live in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and I have three olive trees that have been growing in pots for around 15 years. They used to have much denser foliage and appeared healthy, but over the last few years they seem to have declined.

The trees are still producing some new growth and have flowered, but they have become quite sparse with lots of bare branches. I’ve also noticed that some of the leaves have irregular damage around the edges.

The pots contain strawberries and other ground-cover plants which have gradually spread over the years, so I’m wondering if competition for nutrients and water could be part of the problem.

I will attach three photos.

My questions are:

1. Do the trees look salvageable?
2. Could they be severely root-bound after 15 years in pots?
3. Should I repot them into larger containers with fresh compost, or would planting them in the ground be a better option?
4. Is it safe to prune them now, and if so, how much would you remove?
5. Does the leaf damage look like a pest problem, disease, or something else?
6. Would you recommend removing all the strawberries and other plants from the pots?

Any advice from people with experience growing olives in the UK, particularly in northern areas, would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

Fifteen years in the same pots could certainly mean the trees are root bound and the strawberries may also be competing for water and nutrients. I’d gently check one tree’s root ball before making a decision if the roots are tightly circling the container or the compost has become compacted and hydrophobic, repotting into a slightly larger pot with fresh, free-draining compost may help.
I’d remove the strawberries and other plants first so the olives have less competition. The irregular leaf-edge damage could be from a pest such as an olive weevil but the photos and the undersides of the leaves would need close inspection before identifying it confidently. Check for notches, insects, larvae and damaged roots.
Because you’re in Newcastle, I’d be cautious about planting them permanently in the ground unless the site is very sheltered and sharply drained. Keeping them in containers makes winter protection easier. I’d avoid heavy pruning while the trees are stressed remove dead wood first and wait until they are actively growing before shaping them

Fifteen years in the same pots could certainly mean the trees are root-bound, and the strawberries may also be competing for water and nutrients. I’d gently check one tree’s root ball before making a decision: if the roots are tightly circling the container or the compost has become compacted and hydrophobic, repotting into a slightly larger pot with fresh, free-draining compost may help.
I’d remove the strawberries and other plants first so the olives have less competition. The irregular leaf-edge damage could be from a pest such as an olive weevil, but the photos and the undersides of the leaves would need close inspection before identifying it confidently. Check for notches, insects, larvae, and damaged roots.
Because you’re in Newcastle, I’d be cautious about planting them permanently in the ground unless the site is very sheltered and sharply drained. Keeping them in containers makes winter protection easier. I’d avoid heavy pruning while the trees are stressed; remove dead wood first and wait until they are actively growing before shaping them.
For a second opinion, Chlora can identify the plant from photos and help assess possible health problems, then suggest practical care steps: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.leafsnap.ai