Hi, We would like to plant olive trees.along the Columbia river,good southern exposure,good drainage,terraced,and hot. What would be a good tree and where is a good place to research .
Edible olives are only dependable on the south coast of BC (tho not ripening well, at least they are winterhardy most places here). The olive grown in the interior seems to be russian olive, quite a different plant. Is this what you are considering?
You are destined to find this impossible if you are located east of the mountains, too cold in winter to even get the trees to survive.
We will be located 4 miles north of Trail , 1 mile or less off the river facing south east. Peaches grow really well in this area.
Sounds like a wonderful spot, and I'm sure lots of things including fruit trees will grow well there. Unfortunately, european/edible olives are barely hardy even here on the coast...you might have heard of the olive orchard on one of the gulf islands here...but are hopeless in a Kootenay (or even Okanagan) winter. Trees would do great in the summer, but need heated greenhouse overwintering there. Just a random thought, I understand sea buckthorn grows well in the interior, and makes a valuable oil.
I am from Greece, I grow olive trees (for oil and olives), I grow those in land and also in pots at my veranda. I shall be glad to help, inform me please the minimum temperature that you have in your area. John olma156@yahoo,gr
unfortunally olive trees don't thrive at -20c, that is the reason that we don't have olive trees at North Greece, but if you like to join olive tree as a potted plant protected at winter time (in a Greenhouse or in your home) you can. If you are interesting, contact me. John olma156@yahoo,gr
I'd be interested in Olives too. I have other trees that I bring in for the winter. What variety is most tolerant to cool temperatures?
'Arbequina' is currently prevalent in outlets here. However, I cannot name a single local specimen of an olive tree of significant size that I know of personally. Even A.L. Jacobson, who has promoted the planting of them here in one of his columns lists (Trees of Seattle - Second Edition) only a handful of examples, the tallest 9 1/2 ft., and reports that these date from the 1990s onward. Natch: the last killer winter was in 1990.
I doubt Trail BC could manage Olea europea without some serious winter protection. Pender Island (southern Gulf Islands) on the other hand has done well. Here's a link regarding this topic. http://www.cloudforest.com/northwest/forum/20083322.html Cheers, LPN.
"They thrive in areas with hot, dry summers but also perform adequately in coastal areas. They take temperatures down to 15F/-9C" --Sunset Western Garden Book (2007, Sunset Publishing, Menlo Park)
