Tomatoes and Olives

Question:
How do I nurture a tumbling tomatoe plant that we have hanging in a basket? How do I ensure a good crop? There are very small green baby tomatoes at present. Does it need repotting as it looks a bit big now for the basket

I bought the most gorgeous olive tree a couple of months ago. Its about 2.5 feet tall. I repotted it in John Innes No 3 mixed with grit. Is it right to keep it very moist initially? What feed, if any, should I use? How do I know its healthy?

Answer:
Your tumbling tomato plant will need lots of watering to stop the fruits splitting and it will need feeding every week with a tomato feed to ensure a good healthy crop. They really need to be in a very sunny spot for the fruit to ripen successfully. I have never been able to grow tomatoes outside as my garden is north facing and doesn’t get much sun. I wouldn’t re-pot it; it should be fine if you keep feeding and watering.

Olives are not entirely hardy in the UK so will need some protection during cold and frosty periods. You were right to plant in a well-drained mix of compost and grit. Although they can cope with dry periods, olives in containers need regular watering and feeding to produce fruit. During the growing season keep the compost moist and feed every month. In winter, you can reduce watering, but don’t let the compost dry out completely. As long as the leaves are undamaged and there is sign of new growth you can assume the plant is healthy. If the plant is kept in a very sunny location you may even get fruit after a couple of years.

Olive Tree – Olea europaea

I have just been bought a standard olive tree (Olea europaea) for my birthday from my sister. I have always wanted an olive tree so I’m really pleased.

The Olive originally comes from the Mediterranean so are used to dry, hot conditions and not really suited to the UK climate.

I’m going to move mine into a large, decorative pot and keep it in my conservatory for the winter. When the weather warms up I’ll take it outside and let it sit on my south facing patio for the summer, bringing it indoors again next October.

The Olive Tree is an attractive, slow-growing evergreen tree originally from the Mediterranean and therefore tolerant of dry, hot conditions. Also, it can reach an age of more than 2000 years!

It forms a neat, rounded shaped tree with a dense spreading crown of silver-grey leaves and tiny, lightly scented white flowers in the summer. The small round green fruit ripen to black later in the year and are edible.

In the UK the Olive is not fully hardy so need a warm, sheltered spot to survive the winter. Alternatively they can be grown in a large pot and moved into a cool greenhouse or conservatory for the winter months.

Care Instructions: The Olive needs to be watered regularly and fed during the growing period. Prune long sprouts in Spring and July to maintain a good shape. Add organic matter to the soil surface after pruning.