The olive, from flower to fruit

After the flowering of the olive trees which takes place in May and June, the next stage of olive growth is the fertilization : To become fruit the flower of the olive tree must be fertilized.

It is thanks to the winds and drafts that the pollen of the flowers of olive trees can pass from one flower to another, the olive tree thus being able to produce olives. The fertilization period is very short, one week per year. The weather is therefore decisive during these few days of fertilization; heavy rain or mist and the harvest cannot be plentiful.

The olive tree has a second particularity with regard to fruiting.

Some olive trees are self-fertile, that is, their pollen disperses on its own flowers. Consequently, a single olive tree is enough to produce olives, it can self-pollinate.

Among the varieties of self-fertile olive trees we find the varieties Bouteillan et Aglandau.

Other varieties of olive trees, to produce fruit, need pollen from another variety of olive trees. But not just any variety! Each non-self-fertile variety has its variety of pollinating olive trees.

The variety of olive pollinator of our dear Picholine for example, is theAglandau.

Finally, you should know that barely 10% of the flowers will turn into fruit. Given the large number of flowers on an olive tree, this is quite sufficient for good production.

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Myriam & David