Saturday, February 26, 2011

A new home for our olive tree

Way back in 2008 when we started on this adventure, one of the first things I did was plant a Black Mission Olive in a barrel. It has lived there quite happily for these 2.5 yrs. But it was beginning to get pot bound and needed a new home.

I have been looking for a space to plant it, but had not come up with a spot...the only place that has normal garden plants left is a narrow strip along the house under the bedroom windows. It's silly but I was sort of holding onto this patch...not sure why, but eventually my brain clicked over and we cleared it out.

The hole that was dug was double the width and depth of the barrel that the tree has been in. We then filled it 1/2 way up with fresh homemade compost - this soil is really nutrient deficient and the typical "Cape Flats" oily sand. We filled the hole twice with water and let it drain away.

Yesterday, the tree was moved from the barrel, unfortunetly a lot of the roots were broken, but it seems we got the bulk of them. Besides for the blustery wind that we are experiencing, making it quite difficult for the tree, it seems to have settled.

We even have a few olives on it! (they were there before the move!)

3 comments:

Lois Evensen said...

With all that tender, loving care, your olive tree will surely be happy in its new home.

Hazel said...

Will you be able to reach out of the bedroom window and pick the olives? :-)

africanaussie said...

oh that is so nervewracking moving a tree. looks as though the move will be fine though