Olive Tree, a year of work!

An olive tree is a very affectionate plant, but it doesn't only need attention when you're going to harvest the olives. After all, a tree that can survive for hundreds or thousands of years also needs love.

Even though it's a dryland tree, it needs a lot of things to happen around it so that, when it's time to pick the olives and see that "liquid gold", everything goes well.

But what else happens in the olive grove, besides a few nice walks and picnics?

The olive grove goes through several phases throughout the year.

Let's do this "route" after the harvest is done and until a new harvest is made.

First, the phases of the plant.

Yes, because we have to remember that it's a plant and a fruit tree.

So, we have 6 phases:

1. Winter rest

2. Spring growth

3. Flowering

4. Fruiting and fruit development

5. Autumn growth

6. Harvest

These phases that olive groves in Portugal go through throughout the year have specific functions and are strongly influenced by the typical Mediterranean climate conditions.

Therefore, climate change is already introducing changes in our olive groves, particularly in the plant phases, or in the places where new plantings are carried out.

Below is a table with a summary and explanation of these 6 plant phases:

Of course! Here's the translated table, maintaining the original format:

Phase	Time of Year	Main Description
Winter Dormancy	November to February	Dormancy, cold accumulation, growth suspension
Spring Growth	March to June	Vigorous development of branches and leaves, floral differentiation
Flowering	May to June	Flower opening, pollination and fertilization
Fruiting/Development	June to September	Fruit formation and growth, pit hardening
Autumn Growth	September to November	Resumption of vegetative growth, fruit ripening
Harvest	September to November/December	Collection of olives for oil or table

These were the phases of the plant. Let's see what implications this has for the olive grove caretakers - the farmers - and what work it entails for them.

Essentially, we can talk about 5 phases that must be carried out every year by the farmer. Naturally, we will not consider extraordinary situations in which the olive trees need more attention, namely when there is bad weather or other threats to their peaceful existence.

Peaceful, because in addition to lasting many years, it has existed for millennia in various civilizations, after all, it is also a symbol of peace.

So, we have:

1. Pruning - which takes place after the harvest, still in winter.

2. Soil maintenance - between winter and spring.

3. Fertilizing - between spring and summer.

4. Watering - even though it is a dryland plant, it may be necessary in spring and summer.

5. Phytosanitary treatments - may be necessary throughout the year.

6. Harvesting - between September and December, as this varies according to the weather conditions, the olive tree species, and some characteristics that may be desired for the oil.

There may also be other activities such as planting new trees, grafting and general monitoring of the plants, which requires constant visits and monitoring.

Here is a table with a summary of these activities:

Month	Main Tasks
January	Corrective pruning, soil mobilization, phytosanitary protection
February	Production pruning, copper treatments, planting new trees
March	End of pruning, initial fertilization, phytosanitary treatments
April	Nitrogen fertilization, pest monitoring, start of vegetative growth
May-June	Pest treatments (fly, moth), water control, potassium fertilization
July-August	Irrigation, pest control, monitoring for water stress
September	Harvest preparation and start, maturation monitoring
October-December	Harvest, soil maintenance, preparation for winter dormancy

After all, to get that delicious olive oil, it still takes a lot of work.

And being a plant, in the north of Portugal, where cultivation is essentially traditional and dryland, it requires attention, dedication and love so that the result is "liquid gold".

Let's look at an olive grove in a different light, shall we?