I bought this olive tree over a year ago and for a while it was doing pretty well!
I've kept it in the same pot it came in, and I also kept the hay-like covering on top. At the beginning of the year I noticed that it was covered in a super sticky sap which was transferring onto nearby plants. About May the leaves started dropping off it big time. At the moment it doesn't actively drop leaves but even a slight brush against it causes them to fall off.
After some research I bought a citrus fertilizer and added that to the pot (4tbsp, what the box recommended for my tree), and made the watering schedule more regular – the leaves had curled up tightly which I read was an indicator of not being watered enough.
Fast forward to about 4 weeks ago, I watered the olive tree and noticed it started to float in the pot. It was basically filled with water, and I have no idea how long it had been sitting in there for (I'll be honest, it must have been a while). Of course I drained it and let it dry out. I watered it again last night and noticed that again, the water has pooled in the bottom of the pot.
I've got no idea what to do next – Google has come back with everything from the soil being water repellant, to being overwatered and everything in between.
I've attached pictures for reference, but the basic question is – can I save it? If so, how?
by Kmesiti
8 Comments
I’m not a smart man, Jenny. But that looks like kindling.
You have a scale infestation
I would have given it a slightly bigger pot 8 months ago. I also NEVER fertilize a sick plant. If it got a bit of root rot sitting in water, the fertilizer only speeds up the rotting. I would hope that’s a time release fertilizer too, as it looks like way too much for that size pot & olives are NOT heavy feeders. If you can scratch the bark near the base with a sharp knife & it’s still bright green underneath the bark, it might be saved. If it’s blackish, it’s history.
If you bend the branches, do they bend or break? If they flex, there’s still hope. You can also try scratching off a tiny bit of bark near the base of the tree. Do you see green underneath? There’s still hope.
In the last photo…. everything looks like a real mess? Is that stuff on those leaves sticky? if so… scale insects. Not super serious by itself, but mixed with the fact it’s indoors and was sitting in water for who knows how long… Things aren’t looking good.
You should take this tree outside and give it REAL direct sun. These trees need as much light as possible and don’t do well indoors. Then water it extremely well, but then do NOT water it again until the surface is nice and dry again. There’s a decent chance it’ll come back if the branches bend, or if there’s green, but things aren’t looking good.
It’s worth noting that IF it does live, it’s fairly easy to make them look pretty again with some pruning.
u/TrickFail4505 is right THROW IT OUT THROW IT OUT
https://preview.redd.it/sumwnpgpwgmf1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=064e2dc5d31ba836c872434d289891af2bd98642
That looks like the olive trees sold at a certain large chain store. I may be wrong, but I have a very similar tree.
A couple things: It needs a bigger pot. It can’t stay in that size pot for long. In fact I’m surprised it got as tall as it did. It also looks leggy, which means it is likey not getting enough sun. Olive trees need full sun.
From what you’ve described and what I see in the photos, it looks dead to me. However, there’s one way to make sure – take a branch and do a cut, and see if the interior is dry and colorless. Colorless alone doesn’t mean dead, but if it is dry when you scrape the bark, that’s a really bad sign – it means the tree is no longer pulling water and nutrients from the soil into the tree.
The good news is you can try again. These trees are currently being sold. I got mine last year on sale for $8 and it was an end of the year clearance, and because of a really heavy frost it spent some time inside, but its bigger and I think it will be okay outside this winter unless we get another really atypical 0 degrees frost. Typically olive trees can withstand temperatures of down to 10 degrees F. So if you can put it in a larger pot, preferably outside, water it every 2-3 days, you should get a healthy tree. That is what I would do if yours is alive. If not, I highly recommend buying a new one now, not later if its something you want to keep doing.
Another problem is you need to have soil that drains. The fact that it floated up tells me either you don’t have a hole at the bottom of the pot or you have compacted soil. Both will kill the tree.
My advice is if you live in an area that supports it, plant it directly into the ground. If not, put it in a pot you can leave outside most of the time, and bring it in when the season is such that it cannot survive.
I don’t know much about olive trees, but the soil issue… you just need to replace the soil, mix the fertilizer in the soil this time instead of on top. You may also need a bigger pot for your tree. (Not sure for this specific plant) typically if the roots are taking the shape of the pot, it needs a bigger one as they get crowded. Don’t be afraid to cut or break some roots when you move it. I pull my plants out, shake off what dirt will come off, and then rinse the roots a little before replacing in new soil
Olive tree do not grow indoor