When to prune olives and grapevines?

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Pia

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When to prune olives and grapevines?
« on: September 08, 2012, 09:58:00 AM »
Period for pruning olive trees and grapevine?
A couple of years ago we purchased an olive grove in coastal Peloponnese, south of Nafplion. We expect harvest mid-November.
As we are part time in Greece we want to ask:
1.   What month will be the best for pruning olives?
2.   Will it be all right to prune immediate after harvesting (mid-November)?

We have several grapevines as well (sort unknown). Some are rape in July, some in August.
1.   Which period is the best for pruning ?
2.   Will it be all right to prune immediate after harvesting (August)?

Olives and grapevines are both in bloom late April/early May.
Living in Denmark and part time growing olives in the coastal Peloponnese, near Kiveri, close to Nafplion. MGS member since 2010.

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oron peri

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2012, 11:09:14 AM »
Pia,

Olive trees are better being pruned immidiatly after harvesting so that trees have time to recover and flower again the following spring. Some rules should be taken in considaration when shaping the tree, not only cutting broken branches but also cleaning lower branches that would not produce flowers and open the center of the tree in order to let the sun enter its center [like an upwards down umbrella shape]. Doing this flowers appear also inside the tree and not only on the outer part of the tree. Generally, Olive trees are given different shapes and heights around the Mediterranean but all follow the above.

Grape vines are being pruned in late winter [January - February],when plants are compleetly dorment, if you will prune it after harvesting plant will grow new branches that will not be mature enogh to resist winter and will loose its vigour.
Dont forget to give compost during winter time as vine's new growth conusme much energy in very short period of time!

Furrowing the ground is essential, possibly every year.
« Last Edit: September 08, 2012, 11:58:13 AM by oron peri »
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Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.

Alice

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2012, 12:01:41 PM »
Pia, my information totally agrees with Oron's.
Olive trees in Greece are pruned at the same time as harvesting, i.e. in southern Greece from late October. I have heard it said that after pruning the tree should be open enough to allow a bird to fly through the branches (not exactly scientific, but rather poetic).
Traditionally grapevine pruning used to take place around St Tryphon's day (1 February).
Amateur gardener who has gardened in north London and now gardens part of the year on the Cycladic island of Paros. Conditions: coastal, windy, annual rainfall 350mm, temp 0-35 degrees C.

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JTh

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2012, 12:46:13 PM »
In Brian and Lynne Chatterton's book Discovering oil they write: *In Italy, we prune in late winter - February and March. It is the period of maximum dormancy for olives. Some growers with large estates start earlier - infact not long after picking finishes in December - and they are often still pruning into the beginning of April'. Pruning in late winter - early spring is the time when the olive trees are pruned in Halkidiki as well.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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oron peri

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2012, 01:21:30 PM »
That is intresting Jorun, I supose as you go south harvest starts earlier. [including S. italy].
Down here in the Eastern Mediterranean Olive growers wait for the first rain in order to sart harvesting,
usually during October. rarely in September.
« Last Edit: September 08, 2012, 02:02:16 PM by oron peri »
Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.

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John J

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2012, 06:09:20 PM »
I agree with Oron. Here in our village it's traditional not to start picking olives until after the Festival of the Patron Saint of the village, Saint Luke. His day is 18 October so anytime after that is ok. I usually try to prune our trees immediately after picking and pressing the olives has ended.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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JTh

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2012, 10:25:55 PM »
In our area they start picking the olives earlier, those used for canning/curing are picked first, often starting already at the end of September, but mostly in the beginning of October, then the rest (for oil production) a few weeks later, around the end of October, of course depending on the weather.

The cottony stuff on the olive flowers is quite common, I don’t know what it is, but I have been told it is harmless.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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Pia

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2012, 03:03:24 PM »
So happy for all the good advices and comments - I am sure our growing olives will be a success :) The previous years a local man has been caretaking and harvesting the olives and the harvest this November will be his last in our growe. From now we will try to take over ourselves. We have been observing the neighbor growers and this in addition with your good advices and some very good articles from the MGS will, hopefully, make a good result. We are optimistic and are very much looking forward to the work.

We will try the pehromone traps (if it is not too expensive).

We have more sorts of olives, very big ones "donkey olives", big pointed black, big round green, very small green ones. The very small ones we think are wild trees. We have at least 10 of these and are thinking of grafting with another sort.
We have old as well as younger trees (we don't know the age), and we have planted about 8 trees the last 2 years.
When are the best time to do grafting?
Living in Denmark and part time growing olives in the coastal Peloponnese, near Kiveri, close to Nafplion. MGS member since 2010.

Alice

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2012, 05:09:42 PM »
Good luck with your olive growing, Pia.
I am sure you will find it hard work but rewarding. The plastic pheromone tubes are not expensive and you probably wouldn't need one for every tree.
Grafting (at least in coastal southern Greece) is done in spring: stem grafting in early spring and bud grafting in late spring.
Your olive-growing neighbours should be an invaluable source of advice. Much easier to learn how to prune from them than from a book.
Amateur gardener who has gardened in north London and now gardens part of the year on the Cycladic island of Paros. Conditions: coastal, windy, annual rainfall 350mm, temp 0-35 degrees C.

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JTh

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2012, 09:39:15 PM »
Last Sunday we harvested our own olives for the first time, it was a very positive experience, and we now have 85 kg of first class olive oil, we don’t quite know what to do with that much, since we are leaving in a couple of days. There are bumper crops in the area, and the quality is very good this year, hardly any olive fruit fly damage at all. As I wrote earlier, harvesting probably starts somewhat earlier here, the olive presses started already on 10 October, and now there is hectic activity everywhere, although the majority will probably wait another week before they start harvesting. 
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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andrewsloan

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2012, 12:32:21 PM »
Here in Malaga province of Andalucia the olive harvest is generally done in November. I am starting mine tomorrow although it is again raining today (470 litres per sq metre since September which is more than all of last year)
Pruning can be done until mid March. I try to prune my trees in a waning moon phase of the lunar calendar when there is less sap activity. Local growers do the same.

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Fleur Pavlidis

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2014, 02:04:33 PM »
Can anyone help with this query?
We have a row of mature olive trees on the road side of our row of 3  terraced houses in Auckland, N Z .
They are probably 23 years old now and were lightly pruned in the past but lately have been allowed to grow up unhindered. We would like to see them more dense and bushy, with no worry about losing some of the height and our neighbor would like to take them right back, in some cases, to a point where there may  be no, or little foliage on the tree.
Obviously even if they do shoot again and eventually thicken up, it is going to take some time. My question to you, is this, is it better to leave, say, 1/3 of the canopy at the first prune, then prune again, say, a year later, or will the trees indeed withstand this drastic treatment and come away quite quickly?
Hope you can help me, I'm outnumbered here!!

Liz Hessell
MGS member, Greece. I garden in Attica, Greece and Mt Goulinas (450m) Central Greece

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JTh

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2014, 02:25:43 PM »
I have read that the best way to prune, if you are in doubt, is to look at what your neighbour is doing, but in your case I would definitely not follow their advice. I believe that if you prune the trees as heavily as your neighbour suggests, you’ll ruin the shape and get a very heavy regrowth, which again must be reduced.  Your suggestion sounds much better to me.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

Umbrian

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2014, 07:14:43 AM »
Here in Italy, old neglected Olive trees are pruned back very heavily in an effort to regenerate the trees often leaving a sparse, bare skeleton. I would imagine follow up pruning is very important but with regular attention a more acceptable size and shape can be obtained I am sure especially if your first concern is not the crop!
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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JTh

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Re: When to prune olives and grapevines?
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2014, 08:33:57 AM »
But these are not old trees, 23 years old are still quite young, so it should be easy to shape them by thinning,  opening up the crown and reducing the height. I should think it would be easier and faster than hard pruning and starting all over again from the beginning.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.