planting/olives?

Question

Planting Olives from seed , what is the best way to germinate seeds , and to get started?

Answer 1

An olive seed from a pickled olive jar will probably not sprout. If olive trees grow in your town, their seed will not grow true to form either. I would take a cutting and try to root it. It will grow into a tree just like the one from which you cut it.
Cut off a stem about 1/8 inch round and 8" long. Remove the leaves from the bottom half of the stem. Wound two sides of the stem with a paring knife by scraping a 1" long strip of the outer bark layer off. Wet this lower 1" with water. Dip it in rooting hormone powder (like Rootone 40 - You can get some at your local garden center.) Shake off excess powder. Make a hole in your moist soil with a pencil. Put the cutting in that hole in the soil. Push your moist soil around the stem without pushing off the powder. Keep the soil moderately moist but not soggy. Check your cuttings about once a month to see if roots have formed - yes it could take months.
Two things will increase your odds of this process working:
- Keep the cutting under glass (like under a big clear glass jar) and spritz it with a spray bottle of water about once a week.
- Set the pot on a heat pad designed for starting seed in winter.
I wish you success.