Being already at the beginning of November we see that our olive groves are reaching the phase of veraison, yellowing appears first and then has spots that will give rise to maturity black. These states overlap within the same olive grove depending largely on the load of each olive tree, being those that more harvest have the most retarded. In general, there is a delay in the development of the olive tree of about 15 days about an average year, although it may vary according to each case.
Between the end of September and the beginning of October we saw how olives fell, perhaps more striking than worrying, because being still green and on a ground without much grass it attracted a lot of attention. This fall has had two causes, The main one is that the tree cannot continue with all the olive load it has and throws a part to be able to complete the development of the one that remains. It is similar to the other natural fall that the olive tree has, June, the difference being that at that time those who remain have enough time to compensate for the fallen harvest and in this one that occurred now, they do not.
The other reason the olives have fallen, to a lesser extent, It is for the departure of adults of the last generation of Prays, which corresponds to an egg laying on the olive between the end of May and the beginning of June. It is well identified by observing the olive: If there is a hole in this next to the corner, the fall is due to this plague. If there is not, it is due to natural causes.
Right now, in which we are already considering the beginning of the harvest, keep in mind that some treatments may still be necessary. If they are carried out, you must pay attention to the safety period of each product and wait for what is indicated to collect the olives. These treatments can be herbicide applications to the soil, usually pre-emergent, so that the grass does not grow. Among the possible options, one of the most used is oxyfluorfen (Hereu, Laser, …) which presents a safety period of 21 days. It must be taken into account that the application conditions of this product have changed, Therefore, it is advisable to inform yourself well in the technical services of the Cooperative before its use in order to avoid later problems.
From elsewhere, if preventive treatments are given against copper diseases, this has a term of 15 days. This type of application is convenient to carry out when wet conditions occur due to rain or heavy spray, and also without rain in shady areas.
This season is also good to make a fertilizer with compost, available at the Cooperative, and that brings many benefits, in addition to incorporating nutrients to the crop, as it improves the properties of the soil in relation to its capacity to absorb water and to retain soil particles.
