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Whether you are supporting a cause or purchasing products, it is important for you to know where you are putting your valuable resources!
We, at My Olive Tree, want you to be confident that your support not only matters but also to know a little more about it. This is why we are answering some of your frequent questions about growing olive trees and much more!
Question: Do you grow green or black olives?
Interestingly, the difference between green and black olives is not the type of olive tree, but merely the ripeness of the olives themselves.
For those olives picked soon after the olives reach minimum ripeness—after the juice inside the olive begins to turn from clear to milky—they are green. However, if those same olives are left on the tree—or picked and allowed a longer processing time—they will continue to ripen and eventually change from green to black.
While an olive can be picked at any point between or during these stages of ripeness, for olive oil it is common for olives to be allowed to ripen beyond the initial green stage, until a darker color is achieved.
Question: How long does it take for an olive tree to bear fruit?
Olive trees are not always the quickest of fruit-bearing trees to mature and bear fruit. However, the length of time it takes for an olive tree to produce fruit can vary depending on the variety of olive tree being grown. It also depends on how the tree was grown: cuttings, seed, or grafting. Each will take different lengths of time before the olive tree can bear fruit, with the differences varying significantly if we are discussing a seed being sown versus grafting—particularly as olive trees grown from seed do not always bear fruit.
While certain varieties of olive trees can bear fruit quite early—after just two years—others can take five to twelve years to bear fruit.
Question: How much fruit does a single olive tree produce?
This can actually vary quite widely depending on several factors…
Firstly, the variety of olive tree will directly affect the harvest. Certain olive tree varieties are used essentially to achieve a high yield of produce each season. Other olive tree varieties are grown either to match the conditions where it is to be grown or because the chosen variety has unique characteristics in taste or oil production.
The second main determining factor is the age of the olive tree. While olive trees will first begin to produce anywhere from two to twelve years after they are initially planted, a mature olive tree will almost always bear far more fruit than one that is newly producing.
Generally, a smaller olive tree might produce around 30 to 40 pounds of fruit per year. While that same tree after it has matured can produce up to 100 pounds of fruit per year!
There are high-yielding varieties, however, that can produce a far larger harvest. For instance, the Chemlali variety can produce nearly 2,000 pounds of fruit per year once mature! That is about twenty times more than many olive tree varieties!
Question: Do olive trees need to be kept dry?
Olive trees are certainly quite hardy and resistant to drought, but they, like most plants, still need water. An olive tree that does not have moist soil may suffer.
Olive trees that are not getting enough water may not only struggle to survive in the long term, but in the short term, it can limit growth and even lead to poor harvests, or worse still, none at all. This is why My Olive Tree invests not only in the planting of olive groves but also in their care and irrigation so that every harvest is well able to be fruitful and profitable.
The olive groves planted in Israel—particularly those in the Negev Desert—would not bear nearly the quality or quantity of olives were it not for new and innovative irrigation.
Question: How can I help with growing olive trees?
While choosing to sponsor an olive tree or a grapevine is one of the first ways you can help, there are other ways you can make a difference!
For instance, church and community fundraisers for the planting of olive trees or grapevines make a huge difference! It gets the word out and helps build communities—both yours and in Israel.
Another way you can help is through the purchasing of Israeli-made products. When you purchase olive oil produced via My Olive Tree planted groves, or other “Made in Israel” products, you are providing for Israel—for families, for those who defend Israel, and for those in need. You are being a light of hope!
A Few Fun Facts About Olive Trees:
- Olive trees can have a remarkably long life-span under the right circumstances and conditions… not just into the hundreds, but as long as 2,000 years! There are even olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane that are believed to have been alive during the time of Jesus!
- In Jerusalem’s Temples that honored the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, olive oil was very important. Not only in certain sacrifices, but also in the holy anointing oil, in lighting the Great Menorah, and more!
- While olive trees grow wide trunks as they age, they can also—depending upon variety—reach anywhere from 10 to 40 feet in height when full grown.
- Olive trees are quite hardy upon reaching maturity. While they still have needs regarding water, soil, etc., it has been known that an olive tree with significant damage to the upper portions of the plant will regrow from the roots!
If you would like to learn more about olive trees you can visit: “MORE FAQ’s About Olive Trees!”
If you are interested in sponsoring the planting of an olive tree you can visit: “Sponsor!”
If you want to be a part of planting in Israel but cannot sponsor an entire plant, you can visit: “Contribute to the Cause!”
If you would like to discover more about My Olive Tree you can visit: “Why My Olive Tree?”
If you would like to buy “Made in Israel” products, you can visit: “Made in Israel!”
No matter what you choose, we thank you for taking the time to learn more. May you be blessed and prosper!
