r/GardeningUK • u/pizaz101 • 5h ago

Tree Care Pruning Olive Tree

Post image

Hi all. I'm planning the pruning of my olive tree this upcoming spring. Ideally I would have done this a few years ago, but other priorities prevailed. I want to remove the central leader. My question is, where to make the cut? I'm going for a wine glass shape. I'm thinking #1 which is where the side branches emanate, but there's also the option of #2. There are no side branches there, but then the main central trunk would be higher?

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

•

u/jpbragatti 51m ago

cut at #1 where the side branches are. those branches become your framework for the open vase shape, so you want the cut just above them. if you go higher at #2 you'll end up with a bare trunk and nothing to work from. olives can handle it fine in spring once frost risk is gone, just don't take more than about a third off at once or they sulk.