Something different.

[jackb]

Since I have had the greenhouse I have been thinking of trying to grow something unusual in addition to what I have been growing. There is shelving along the east wall that is mostly being used for storage, and that is a real waste of space. I don't know of anyone who grows olives hydroponically, and I thought that they would be a good choice. They are pretty hardy plants, and can take both high and low temperatures, and to some extent, drought; and they don't have many pests that attack them. Additionally, they are attractive plants that flower in spring, and lend themselves well to severe pruning. I now have nine plants of eight different varieties that are being grown hydroponically. The only downside is that Ava would not eat an olive on a bet.

 

[RustyDHart]

What an interesting project.... Please keep us posted on your progress!

 

[Carol Dee]

Ava may change her mind after Grandpa grows a few.

 

[jackb]

Ava may change her mind after Grandpa grows a few.

I am thinking that I am going to give her a plant to care for, and that might motivate her. Then again, she will most likely want to start another race.

Jack B

 

[ninnymary]

Jack, did you start these from seeds, cuttings? How old are they?

Mary

 

[catjac1975]

How long will it be before they fruit? Cool project.

 

[Greenthumb18]

Jack,
Looks like a very interesting project. And yes were these started from seed or cuttings?


Keep us posted this will be very interesting to see.

 

[journey11]

Ooh, that is different. They are very pretty trees.

 

[jackb]

When I first thought of growing the olives I contacted two growers in Florida and told them of what I planned to do, and how I was going to go about it. It can take three to five years, depending on the type of olive, before you see any olives, so I wanted one year old plants to train into bushes. One grower thought it was a cool idea and suggested the variety that she thought was best. She said she really wanted to see me succeed. The second grower gave me some great advice regarding dormancy. He told me to grow them in the greenhouse for the first two years and not give them a dormant period. He said to give them a dormant period with little water, and no fertilizer, at the end of the second year, and I would probably have fruit in the third year. Most of the plants are one year old seedlings, but the Mission olive is six years old, however, it was being trained as a bonsai, so I am going to have to pot it and let it grow some. I have no idea of when it will have fruit at this point, but it will at some point have fruit. As I prune the plants into bushes I am taking cuttings, which I will probably sell to the local bonsai guru for starter plants after they root and grow some. We have started some seeds for a rare olive that I obtained from a grower in Greece. They will be grown under lights, and in the greenhouse, but it will be a long term project as I wrote in an previous post. It is amazing how helpful the growers are, as I am now on a first name basis with both, and have spoken and exchanged email with both of them a number of times. In any event, it should be interesting.

 

[so lucky]

I have Greenhouse Envy.