Just hearing names like Italy, Spain, or Greece is usually enough to give anyone instant vacation vibes. But guess what? You don’t need a plane ticket to get that Mediterranean feeling—you can bring it right to your own backyard! One of the coolest ways to do that is by growing your very own olive trees.
Perfect for Gardening Newbies
The best thing about olive trees is just how tough and resilient they are. They’re pretty forgiving, even if you make a few “rookie mistakes” while getting them started. That makes them a fantastic project for beginners. If you want to grow your own, you’ve basically got two ways to go about it:
- Starting from seeds
- Using cuttings
Growing Olive Trees from Seeds
Since olive trees in cooler climates usually do best in pots anyway, starting from seed seems like a natural choice. However, I should warn you: getting the seeds ready is a bit of a chore. Olives are stone fruits with really firm flesh. Unlike the olives we eat, you can’t use brined or processed ones for planting. Getting that pit out without damaging it is a workout in itself! Once you’ve got your seeds, here’s what you do:
- Fill your small pots with a good seed-starting mix.
- Push the olive pits about half an inch deep into the soil, pointy side up.
- Water them so the soil is damp, but definitely not soaking wet.
- Place the pots in a bright, warm spot.
Using Cuttings
If you want to take the easier route, propagating olive trees from cuttings is the way to go. Just find some healthy shoots on an existing tree that are about two to four inches long. Snip them off with a sharp knife and bury them halfway down into pots filled with seed-starting soil. After that, just keep them in a warm, sunny spot and make sure the soil stays consistently moist. Before you know it, those cuttings will start developing their own root systems!
