Fertilising guide

How to fertilise Olive Tree (Olea europaea)— schedule & NPK

Also called common olive, European olive.

More about olive tree

About Olive Tree

Olea europaea · also called common olive, European olive · edible

The olive is a long-lived evergreen Mediterranean tree with silvery-grey leaves, grown for fruit, oil, and as an architectural specimen. It loves full sun and sharp drainage, tolerates drought and poor soil, and survives short frosts to around -10C. In cool climates it makes an excellent container plant needing winter shelter.

Growth habit: Slow-growing, much-branched evergreen tree or large shrub with a gnarled trunk and narrow silver-backed leaves. Long-lived, drought-hardy, and very amenable to pruning, pot culture, and topiary.

What fertiliser olive tree actually wants — and why

Olive Tree feeds in two distinct phases — balanced to build the plant, then high-potassium the moment flowering starts to set and fill a heavy crop.

For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for olive tree: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.

How often to feed olive tree, and which months

Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For olive tree:

The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when olive tree is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.

What strength to mix for olive tree

Follow the crop-feed label rate for olive tree — these are calibrated for hungry vegetables. Consistency through fruiting matters more than strength; erratic feeding causes problems like blossom-end rot.

Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water olive tree first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the olive tree watering schedule.

Signs you are over-feeding olive tree

Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for olive tree:

Vigorous dark-green leafy growth but few flowers or fruit (excess nitrogen).
Lush foliage hiding the crop; soft growth prone to pests and disease.
Salt crust on the soil and scorched leaf edges in containers.

Signs you are under-feeding olive tree

Pale, yellowing lower leaves and stunted growth.
Small fruit, poor set, and a quickly exhausted plant.
Blossom-end rot and weak cropping from erratic or insufficient feeding.

If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full olive tree care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.

Flushing and leaching the salts

In containers, fertiliser salts build up fast — water olive tree thoroughly so excess drains from the base each time, and flush pots with plain water every few weeks to prevent a damaging salt build-up.

Organic vs synthetic feeds for olive tree

Organic options

Garden compost or well-rotted manure dug in before planting, plus a liquid comfrey or seaweed feed once fruiting starts. UK: comfrey feed or organic Tomorite; US: Espoma Tomato-tone or Neptune's Harvest. Builds soil and feeds in one.

Synthetic / liquid feeds

A balanced feed at planting then a high-potash tomato feed in fruiting — UK: Growmore at planting then Tomorite (Levington) or Phostrogen; US: a balanced 10-10-10 then Miracle-Gro Tomato or a bloom booster.

Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.

Fertilising olive tree — frequently asked questions

What fertiliser does olive tree need?

Balanced (even N-P-K) at planting for roots and frame, then switch to a high-potassium ("high-potash") tomato-style feed once the first flowers open — potassium is what sizes and ripens fruit, not nitrogen. Olive Tree feeds in two distinct phases — balanced to build the plant, then high-potassium the moment flowering starts to set and fill a heavy crop.

How often should I feed olive tree?

Feed lightly with a balanced fertiliser in spring and midsummer; container olives benefit from a slow-release feed or fortnightly liquid feed in the growing season. Olives are low-feeders, so avoid overfeeding, which produces soft, frost-tender growth. Feed lightly with a balanced fertiliser in spring and midsummer; container olives benefit from a slow-release feed or fortnightly liquid feed in the growing season. Olives are low-feeders, so avoid overfeeding, which produces soft, frost-tender growth. So: a balanced feed or compost at planting, then a high-potash liquid every 1-2 weeks from first flower through harvest across the main season (spring through early autumn).

What strength of feed for olive tree?

What does over-feeding olive tree look like?

Vigorous dark-green leafy growth but few flowers or fruit (excess nitrogen). Lush foliage hiding the crop; soft growth prone to pests and disease. Salt crust on the soil and scorched leaf edges in containers. Staying on a high-nitrogen feed once olive tree starts flowering is the classic error — you get a huge leafy plant and a disappointing crop. Switch to high-potash the moment flowers appear.

Should I flush the soil of olive tree?