Growing Olive tree in Charente?

[just john]

A friend has given me an Olive tree to plant at my place in the Charente, I wonder if anyone on here has any experience with olive trees?. A local Farm was selling fully grown specimens (about a foot diameter trunk, couple of metres tall, in huge metre plus diametre pots) so presumably the climate is suitable, but I have no clue as to how to cultivate one? my specimen is in a pot about 6ins across and looks like a twig about a metre plus high with lots of leaves. My soil is only about 15'' on top of almost solid chalky subsoil.

 

I found an earlier post with links relating to North America but not much applicable .

http://services.completefrance.com/forums/completefrance/cs/forums/1839278/ShowPost.aspx

 

[Loiseau]

Somebody gave me one in the Vendée, John, and it has done rather annoyingly well!

I only say annoyingly, because i seem to have a lot of tree-shade in my garden, and the last thing I wanted was more branches between me and the sun. I snip off its lower branches to let as much light in as possible. It's still not very tall, about 3m max, after 6 years or so.

I planted it into the soil, and it's been through snow and frost so hard that it welded the gravel of my driveway into a solid block.

Angela

[mint]

JJ, we have an olive tree in our garden planted by the previous owner so yours should also grow.

Don't forget that olives are very slow growers and, IMHO, aren't that attractive unless they are in a grove and there are lots of them.  The leaves are a dull colour, the fruit is also pretty inconspicuous and can't be eaten unless you have soaked them in brine or whatever it is you have to do to them.

However, if it's a present, I suppose you have to try and nurture it.

Ours was also like a thin, malnourished twig and I thought last year's snow would have put paid to it.  However, after all the leaves have dropped off, it came back to life with the warmer weather.

Just stick it in the ground and ignore it and I think you'll find that it will live despite the harshest conditions.

Ours have thrived through total neglect from its owners.

[just john]

Thanks Loiseau and Sweet 
[quote user="sweet 17"] Ours was also like a thin, malnourished twig and I thought last year's snow would have put paid to it.  However, after all the leaves have dropped off, it came back to life with the warmer weather.

Just stick it in the ground and ignore it and I think you'll find that it will live despite the harshest conditions.

Ours have thrived through total neglect from its owners. [/quote]

Thanks Sweet, that's the kind advice I was hoping to get, just my kind of plant!
as far as gardening goes, I'm a sower, planter, looker, cutter and cut-downer, not so hot on the nurturing nature stuff.[;-)]

 

[Cendrillon]

We have a small olive tree in a pot in our Fr garden (17) Given to us in 2007 it was still going strong last autumn. It's left totally unattended during the winter months and should really go in the ground but our ground is almost impossible to dig as there are lots of rocks underneath. Ours too seems to thrive on almost total neglect.

[Benjamin]

I don't know why but the Spanish prune their olive trees after harvest  and immediately burn the prunings.

[just john]

Just had a thought, does the deer like to chomp on these?