Arbequina olive trees are prized by home gardeners for being easy-care, compact, and highly productive. If you’re new to growing olives, the Arbequina variety is a fantastic choice. Native to Spain’s Catalonia region, Arbequina olives have become extremely popular in home gardens and commercial orchards alike. In fact, Arbequinas account for a huge portion of olive plantings in places like California due to their reliable fruiting and hardy nature. This guide will introduce you to what makes the Arbequina special and walk you through the basics of caring for one in your own yard or patio.
What Makes the Arbequina Olive Tree Special?
The Arbequina is known for its manageable size and attractive form. It typically grows 15–20 feet tall in the ground (often smaller in pots) with graceful, weeping branches of silvery-green leaves that stay evergreen in warm climates. Unlike some finicky fruit trees, Arbequinas are self-pollinating, meaning you only need one tree to get olives (though having two can increase yield). They produce small, fleshy olives that ripen from green to pink to black. These olives are famous for their high oil content and delicious flavor – perfect for making your own olive oil or curing for table olives.
Beginner gardeners love that Arbequinas are adaptable and hardy. They tolerate a variety of soil types as long as drainage is good. They’re also more cold-tolerant than many other olive varieties, surviving down to around 20 °F when mature. In climates with freezes, you can grow them in containers and bring them indoors for winter. All these traits make Arbequina an ideal olive tree for those just starting out.
Basic Requirements for Growing Arbequina Olives
Even though Arbequina olive trees are forgiving, they have some preferences for optimal growth:
- Sunlight: Olives thrive in sun. Aim to give your Arbequina at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. A south-facing spot is ideal. They can handle partial shade but fruit production may decrease if light is limited.
- Soil: Good drainage is crucial. Arbequinas aren’t too picky about soil type – sandy, loamy, or clay soils can work – but water should not sit around the roots. If your soil is heavy clay, consider planting on a slight mound or in a raised bed to improve drainage. They prefer slightly alkaline soil pH (around 7-8), but this isn’t usually a big issue; they adapt well.
- Water: Young olive trees need regular watering to establish roots, but mature Arbequinas are fairly drought-tolerant. Overwatering is one of the few things an olive tree won’t tolerate. We’ll detail watering later, but the rule of thumb is to keep soil lightly moist in the first year and then water deeply but infrequently once established.
- Climate: Outdoors, Arbequina olives flourish in USDA Hardiness Zones 8–10. In these warm regions, they can be planted in the ground and will remain evergreen year-round. In colder zones (down to 4–7), you can still grow Arbequinas in containers and move them indoors or to a sheltered area when winter hits (more on that below). During the growing season, they appreciate warm days and low humidity.
- Fertilizer: These olive trees are not heavy feeders, but a little fertilizer boosts growth. Use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer formulated for fruit trees or citrus in spring and again in late summer. Too much fertilizer can cause lots of leafy growth at the expense of fruit, so don’t overdo it – modest feeding is best.
Planting Your Arbequina Olive Tree
Planting an Arbequina properly sets it up for long-term health. Whether you’re planting in your yard or in a pot, choose the right location and follow these basic steps (we have a dedicated post on planting with more details):
- Timing: Plant in fall or early spring if possible. Extremes of summer heat or winter cold can stress a newly planted olive. Planting during milder temperatures gives roots time to establish. If you get an Arbequina in a container from a nursery, you can plant it almost any time as long as you can water it well, but avoid waterlogged winter soil or peak summer drought for best success.
- Site Selection (In-Ground): Pick a sunny spot with good air circulation. If planting multiple Arbequinas in ground, space them about 8–12 feet apart so they have room to mature without crowding. This spacing also improves airflow, reducing disease and making harvest easier. Ensure there are no low spots that stay soggy after rain; olives love water but hate having “wet feet.”
- Digging the Hole: For an in-ground tree, dig a hole roughly twice as wide as the tree’s current root ball and about the same depth. A broad hole loosens the surrounding soil, helping new roots expand outward. You don’t need to add a bunch of compost or amendments – Arbequinas do fine in native soil – but you can mix a little compost into the backfill to give a nutrient boost if your soil is very poor.
- Planting Process: Gently remove the olive tree from its nursery pot. If the roots are circling tightly, loosen them a bit with your fingers. Set the tree in the hole so that the top of the root ball is at or slightly above ground level (you don’t want the trunk base buried too deep). Backfill the soil, tamping lightly as you go to eliminate large air pockets. Water the hole thoroughly after planting to help settle the soil around the roots.
- Staking: Young Arbequina olives have thin, flexible trunks. In a windy area, consider staking the tree for support during its first year. Use a loose, soft tie around the trunk to a stake, and remove the stake once the trunk has thickened and can stand sturdy on its own.
- Mulching: After planting, spread a 2–3 inch layer of mulch (like wood chips or straw) around the base, but keep it a few inches away from touching the trunk. Mulch helps retain soil moisture and suppresses weeds, giving your new tree a healthier environment. Just be sure not to pile mulch against the trunk, which can invite rot.
If planting in a container, use a pot with drainage holes and a well-draining potting mix (for example, a mix formulated for citrus or cactus works well). Choose a container about 2 times the width of the root ball to start. We’ll cover container specifics in another section, but briefly: pot your tree at the same depth it was in its nursery pot, water thoroughly, and ensure it’s in a sunny spot. Containers dry out faster, so keep an eye on soil moisture.
Watering and Feeding Basics
For a beginner, one of the top concerns is “How often do I water it?” Arbequinas like a moderate approach to water:
- After Planting: Initially, water your new Arbequina deeply a couple times a week. The goal is to keep the root zone moist (but not swampy) as the tree gets established. After the first few weeks, you can gradually ease off frequency. By about one to two months in, watering once per week (or when the top 2 inches of soil feel dry) is a good schedule for that first year.
- Established Trees: Once your olive has a year or two under its belt, it will handle dry periods much better. In fact, olive trees prefer a bit of drying between waterings. For an in-ground Arbequina, watering deeply every 2–3 weeks might be sufficient if you get some rainfall. In hot, dry climates, you may water a bit more often in summer. Always feel the soil – if it’s dry a few inches down, it’s time to water deeply. If it’s still moist, you can wait. Deep, infrequent watering encourages roots to go deep and makes the tree more drought-resilient.
- Potted Trees: Olives in containers will need more frequent watering than those in the ground, especially during warm weather. Check potted olives weekly (or even more in peak summer heat). Water thoroughly until you see water drain out the bottom, then let the topsoil dry out before the next watering. They don’t like constantly soggy soil, so avoid letting the pot sit in a saucer of water.
- Signs of Thirst vs. Overwatering: An Arbequina will “tell” you if something’s off. Wilting or drooping leaves usually mean it’s too dry and needs water. Yellowing leaves or an overall soggy feel to the soil can indicate overwatering. It’s generally safer to err on the side of slightly underwatering than overwatering with olive trees. They can bounce back from a bit of drought, but sitting in water can cause root rot.
- Fertilizer: Feed your Arbequina lightly in spring and again in mid-summer. Use an all-purpose balanced fertilizer or a product formulated for olive/citrus trees. Follow the package instructions for how much to apply (usually based on the size of your tree or container). Avoid fertilizing in late fall or winter, as this can force tender new growth at the wrong time. Young trees might only need a half-strength feeding to avoid burning their roots. You can also opt for organic feeds like compost or diluted fish/seaweed emulsion in spring. Remember, olives don’t need heavy feeding – just a little boost to keep them vigorous.
Pruning and Ongoing Care
One great thing about Arbequinas – they don’t require extensive pruning to get fruit. The trees naturally take on a pretty shape. However, some trimming each year will keep your tree healthy and might improve fruit yield. We have a whole post on pruning, but here’s a quick overview:
- Remove any dead or diseased branches whenever you spot them.
- Once a year (late winter or early spring is best), consider thinning out some interior branches if the canopy is very dense. This allows sunlight into the center of the tree, which helps fruit ripen and reduces fungal issues.
- Keep suckers (shoots from the base of the trunk) pruned off, unless you want a multi-trunk look – in which case, allow a couple of suckers to grow and form additional trunks, but remove the rest.
- You can lightly shape the tree to control height or spread. Arbequinas can handle even hard pruning (they often bounce back with vigorous new growth), but for a backyard tree, you typically won’t need to cut much. A good rule is remove no more than 20–30% of the canopy in a given year.
Aside from pruning, ongoing care is pretty straightforward: water as needed, feed twice a year, and keep an eye out for any pests or leaf issues. Arbequinas are quite resilient against pests and diseases (many people grow them organically without issues), but it’s wise to stay vigilant. We’ll discuss troubleshooting problems in another post, but common things to watch for are scale insects on leaves or stems, or fungal leaf spots if conditions are very damp. Usually these are minor and treatable with organic sprays or simply wiping off insects.
When Will I Get Olives?
Patience is key for any fruit tree. If you planted a young Arbequina (say a 1–2 year old sapling), expect about 2 to 4 years before you start seeing olives. It might flower in the spring of its second or third year, with a small olive crop by fall if conditions are right. As the tree matures, the harvests will get larger. A healthy mature Arbequina can produce a surprising number of olives for its size – sometimes dozens of pounds of fruit! In a container, yields will be smaller, but you can still get plenty to enjoy.
Arbequina olives typically ripen in the fall. You’ll see them start off green in summer, then many will turn a blush pink or purple, and finally deepen to a rich glossy black when fully ripe (usually by November). Not all olives ripen simultaneously; you may pick over a period of weeks. This extended ripening is actually convenient for home growers, as you can harvest in batches.
We have an entire article on harvesting olives and what to do with them (curing, brining, etc.). In short: you don’t eat olives straight off the tree – they are very bitter due to a compound called oleuropein. You’ll need to cure them (for example, by soaking in brine) to make them palatable, or you can press them for oil if you have enough.
Why You’ll Love Growing an Arbequina
To wrap up this introduction: Arbequina olive trees bring a little slice of the Mediterranean to your backyard. From their aromatic spring blooms to the sight of fresh olives on the branches in autumn, they offer year-round interest. Even if you’re a total beginner, following the basic care tips in this guide will set you on the path to success. These trees are forgiving – they won’t sulk if you miss an occasional watering or pruning. Give them sun, good drainage, and a bit of TLC, and they’ll reward you with beauty and tasty olives for years to come.
Ready to dig deeper? Check out our specific guides on planting, container growing, pruning, seasonal care, and troubleshooting common olive tree problems. With a little knowledge, you’ll be well on your way to becoming an expert Arbequina olive tree gardener! Happy growing.