- 1.Gather all tools and safety equipment (including safety glasses).
- 2.Prune on all sides of the olive tree, so walk around it to assess it before you start.
- 3.Work from the base up. Starting at the base of the trunk, remove any suckering growth.
- 4.Remove all growth from below the main fork of the olive tree.
- 5.Remove any downward-facing branches.
- 6.Thin out the remaining parts of the tree, cutting out any branches that are growing through others.
- 7.On healthy trees, you won't need to remove too much growth. If you cut back too hard, the result is the tree will grow more wood. If the tree is young or in poor condition, a hard cut can help bring it back to full vigour.
- It's better to start pruning olive trees when they are young as this will reduce the amount you will need to prune from the tree as it matures.
- Olives are dual fruiters meaning they will have a year on, year off fruiting, but good light pruning annually will boost yields season after season.