Olive wintering question

[Guns286]

I live in NY and the winters are usually pretty harsh. I've read that Olives should come inside when the temps are just above freezing at night. I also have a Willow growing from a cutting and I planned on building a box with a wooden frame and plexi-glass walls and roof (basically a mini greenhouse) to put it in over the winter. I'm wondering if I could do the same for the Olive? I also saw a little trick on YouTube where you spread out a reptile heating cable on the bottom of the box and put the pot and tree right on top of it. This will keep the roots warm, as well as raise the temp inside the box. What do you think?

 

[MrFancyPlants]

It should work in theory, but there are a lot of opportunities for failure. I lost an olive over the winter because I tried giving it some time in the fall in the shed and the temperatures dropped below zero. My thermostat/ heater cable burnt out the first night the temperatures dropped, presumably because I didn't have the thermostat insulated in the substrate with the heating cable. So it thought it was cold even after the rubber coating on the cable melted.. At least I didn't burn down my shed.

Olives don't need dormancy, so I think you would be safer bringing it in before the first frost. And put it in a well lit spot that isn't too drafty and not by a heating vent.

 

[JudyB]

What kind of olive is it?

I have successfully over wintered my EU olive inside. They are not needy as far as humidity, so it's not too difficult. I use a shelf next to a sunny window, with a regular shop light over it.

If you do keep it in a protected spot outside, with a heat mat,or cable, just be careful you don't cook them in that enclosure on sunny days.

I have heard that they can take some cold conditions, but do not like their roots being overly wet in cold conditions. I've never kept mine outside in the winter, but you'd need to at least do a good protection if so.