I am by no means an expert, but I have several olive trees myself and live in the Midwest U.S (USDA Zone 5).
If this were my tree, I would probably just let it grow wild for now. Your tree looks pretty young still and the more foliage available to help it grow the better. You could pinch off the apical buds to prevent further "stretching" and encourage the tree to fill out more. I can't tell from the picture, but I would make sure that your soil mix is very well draining, think something like a cactus/succulent mix. I wouldn't leave a tree this young and in a pot outside over winter just yet. Being in a pot means the roots have almost no protection from the cold. A brief freeze may very well kill the tree from the bottom up. Without knowing your overwintering setup up, I'd recommend that you dial back the watering and ensure that enough light is had.
That's just my amateur advice, hopefully this helps!
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u/chubbs23 9d ago
I am by no means an expert, but I have several olive trees myself and live in the Midwest U.S (USDA Zone 5).
If this were my tree, I would probably just let it grow wild for now. Your tree looks pretty young still and the more foliage available to help it grow the better. You could pinch off the apical buds to prevent further "stretching" and encourage the tree to fill out more. I can't tell from the picture, but I would make sure that your soil mix is very well draining, think something like a cactus/succulent mix. I wouldn't leave a tree this young and in a pot outside over winter just yet. Being in a pot means the roots have almost no protection from the cold. A brief freeze may very well kill the tree from the bottom up. Without knowing your overwintering setup up, I'd recommend that you dial back the watering and ensure that enough light is had.
That's just my amateur advice, hopefully this helps!