Growing Texas Olives

In this episode I discuss the concept of plant available water in the soil and estimating that available water by feel and appearance. I then talk about using this method to best irrigate newly-planted trees and young, non-bearing orchards. Although the second half of this episode is geared towards new and young trees, the information presented applies to everyone and is excellent knowledge to have even for mature orchards. Link to the NRCS publication "Estimating Soil Moisture by Feel and Appearance": https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_051845.pdf

In this episode, I announce the upcoming UC Davis Master Milling Course, discuss an idea to bring together olive people from across the southeastern US, and review two scientific papers. The first paper studied the effects of root pruning on 2-year-old olive trees with interesting results. The second paper studied the potential timing of floral induction; basically, if new buds are produced on the tree from May through October, is there a point after which newly-formed buds will not become floral buds next year? This study has implications for Texas and is welcomed information.

In this episode I discuss some basic irrigation system maintenance practices that often seem to get overlooked. I also discuss ways to periodically evaluate your irrigation system so that you know it is operating correctly and applying as much water as you think it is. This is the first step in excellent irrigation management. In future episodes we will talk about estimating water needs and scheduling irrigation, but you must understand all of the material in this episode before you can effectively and efficiently manage your irrigation in the olive orchard.

This episode will be the first in a series of episodes dedicated to irrigation. It is now hot and dry in Texas, and proper irrigation of olives is crucial. Many experienced growers and experts agree that irrigation management is likely more important than fertilization; so, are you doing it right? In this episode we just start to scratch the surface of understanding proper irrigation of an orchard by re-thinking what it means to apply water to an orchard.

In Episode 16, we consider what is happening in the olive orchard during May, and I discuss what managers should be thinking about or doing during this time. I also answer questions that I received recently about caterpillar pests and ants.

This is a long one, and yet it doesn't cover everything there is to know. Maybe listen to this one in two or three sittings. I discuss the fundamental knowledge needed to make weed management decisions in the orchard. Any mention of product or brand names is not an endorsement. Always read the label.

In this episode I discuss the generalities and theory behind different orchard floor management practices. This is not specifically an episode on weed control, but obviously weed control is an integral part of orchard floor management. I discuss the two opposite ends of the spectrum of orchard floor management approaches, as well as the middle ground. Pros and cons of each are weighed, and considered against the climate in which an orchard is grown.

In this episode, I discuss what (I think) is happening in olive trees as this point in the year and I consider both potentially reproductive orchards and those orchards that are rebuilding after the February 2021 freeze. I also discuss what (I think) an orchard manager should be doing and thinking at this time of the year. I discuss the physiology of the olive tree as well as considerations for weed control, irrigation, and fertilization.

In this episode, we consider what the literature says about temperature requirements for olive flowering. What kind of winter temperatures will convince an olive tree to produce flowers? Some people claim that olives require "chill hours" similar to peaches and other fruit; is this true? I discuss some examples of olive trees growing in non-traditional areas and consider the winter weather conditions in those locations. Finally, does Texas have winter weather conditions conducive to olive reproduction? This is a lengthy episode, but there is much to discuss.

In this episode I discuss dormancy. What is dormancy? Why is it important? What initiates dormancy? Can we manipulate it? Dormancy is of course incredibly important for plants for several reasons, which I discuss in this episode. This episode is a good primer to the next episode which will talk more about dormancy but also about chilling requirements, vernalization, and what is required to convince an olive tree to produce flowers.

In this episode I review the 2021 calendar year in the Texas olive industry. The year started with good promise as the winter weather was just right for olives. Unfortunately, the historic freeze in February ruined all of that. I discuss how orchards are recovering from the freeze and what we learned from the recovery process. We wrap up by considering the fall/winter weather that we've received so far, and then take a look towards the future.

Aside from choosing the orchard location and selecting a cold-tolerant cultivar, what else can be done to improve the cold-hardiness of olives? In this episode I discuss several management techniques that can be applied to an olive orchard which research has shown to improve their freeze tolerance. Not only are these recommendations backed by research, but we've seen examples manifested in Texas olive orchards.

This episode is a continuation of episode 7. Here I discuss irrigation system setup and considerations, proper planting methods and pitfalls to avoid, achieving rapid establishment of trees and the initial shaping and training of newly-planted trees. Of course, not everything that you need to know can be covered in 20 minutes, but this episode touches on the major points and discusses some of the common mistakes seen in Texas olive orchards. Thanks to Jay Schmidt for the providing the music.

In this episode we continue working our way through Chapter 5 of the Second Edition Olive Production Manual (from University of California). I talk about orchard design and spacing, discussing what factors to consider. Traditional, low density designs are discussed as well as high density/hedgerow design. I also offer advice based on common pitfalls seen in some of the early orchards designed in Texas.

In this episode I continue to review the Olive Production Manual from the University of California. We look at Chapter 5: Site Selection and Preparation. This episode ended up a bit longer than I wanted, but it serves to show just how important proper site selection and preparation are to the potential success of a Texas olive orchard.

In this episode, I review a peer-reviewed scientific publication. This published study found fairly strong evidence that the Arbequina variety is actually not as self-compatible or as self-fruitful as once thought. I interpret the study in my own words, and provide some context and explanation for Texas growers. Link to the publication: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423817306908 Intro and ending music written, composed, and performed by Jay Schmidt. Music may not be copied, reproduced, or used in any other manner without the artist's written consent.

In this episode, I briefly recap what I saw in olive orchards during my trip around the western half of the state. We then review and discuss Chapter 4 of "Olive Production Manual" book.

In this episode, I provide some clarification about the legality of using pesticides whose labels do not include your targeted pest, and then discuss the general botany of the olive tree. The botany discussion is based on Chapter 3 of the Second Edition Olive Production Manual from the University of California.

17 July 2021. In this episode, I talk briefly about the potential for selling olive wood to woodworkers if you are forced to make large pruning cuts due to the freeze. We saw the 3rd generation of Palpita caterpillars this past week in an orchard in Lavaca County. I briefly discuss some thoughts on irrigation in our current orchard situations, and finish up by providing some quick thoughts on cover crops usage in Texas olive orchards.

I talk about what I've been seeing in Texas olive orchards up to this point (July), 4+ months after the freeze. I also discuss leaf sampling olive orchards in July.

This first episode is a recording of my presentations and our conversations had during the April 24, 2021 Olive Field Day. There was a problem with the recording, so it also contains some commentary which I recorded and added today, June 18th, 2021. We discuss the effects of the February 2021 severe freeze event on olives across Texas, what we learned from the freeze, strategies for mitigating freeze damage in the future, thoughts on rehabilitating damaged orchards, olive variety trial results across Texas, and herbicides and insecticides for olives in Texas.