Finding ourselves already in the month of February and having finished the olive harvest in most of the plots, we are considering the subscriber of our olive groves. This fertilizer is the tool that we have to replace the nutrients that have been used in the olive production of this campaign that ends and prepare it for the next olive.. The way to implement this objective will depend a lot on the characteristics of the olive trees., since as it is easy to imagine, you should not pay the same amount to a club as to an adult olive tree in full production. further, It should also be considered if you are going to prune, the amount of harvest obtained in this campaign, not forgetting the results of the foliar analyzes of last summer and the characteristics of the plot soil. Knowing these aspects, and some more, we can determine the nutrient or fertilizer needs of olive trees.
Once these parameters have been determined, the product or products that best suit our needs must be found and the quantity and timing of the application must be decided.. The quantity will be given by the previous harvest and the one expected for the next campaign, also taking into account if there is any nutrient in the olive tree that is in less quantity than it should. On the other hand, the moments of application of the subscriber are influenced by the development of the plant during the year and by the weather..
In this way it is recommended to use complex fertilizers that have the three main elements: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; avoiding the use of urea as the only fertilizer, although it is used as a supplement when greater nitrogen contributions are necessary. It is possible to resort to applications of several simple subscriptions (they only contain one type of nutrient each) but this usually adds more complexity to an operation that is not easy in itself.
The times to make the applications are, generally:
- At the end of winter, when the olive tree is already stirring and the weather forecasts foresee some rain and do not show risks of low temperatures. This is very important to keep in mind, since if we fertilize soon and the olive tree begins to stir, later giving low temperatures, the damage done to the olive tree is greater. On this occasion it is convenient to apply a fertilizer as complete as possible to the soil. If you choose to fertilize by foliar route, you would have to make several applications from now on and throughout the spring, accompanied by amino acids for better absorption.
- When flowering is complete and the fruit is set to the size of a peppercorn, fertilizers rich in potassium should be used., since it is a time when the olive tree demands this element in greater quantity for the development of the fruit.
- After the summer, If the development of the fruit is correct, it is advisable to carry out another application with potassium to improve the final development of the olive..
These are the general lines to plan a correct subscriber. To be able to specify in each case we recommend that you go to the technical services of the Cooperative.
