Curiosities about olive trees

The Olive Tree Calendar – The Stages of the Olive Tree, Month by Month

Introduction – The Growth Stages of the Olive Tree

Every olive tree tells a story that is renewed each year. A story made up of silence, the changing of the seasons, and energies that build up and transform.

Its roots stretch deep into time; its branches tell ancient stories of sun, wind, and waiting. But how many of us truly know what happens, season after season, among its silvery leaves?

(Almost) every month, the olive tree goes through a different phase: it rests, regenerates, blooms, endures, and bears fruit. Without haste, but with remarkable consistency.

We created this calendar to guide you, step by step, through the year of the olive tree. And if you’ve adopted an olive tree through Olivami, this calendar lets you find out what stage of life your tree is in right now. So you can feel even closer to it, even from afar.

The Olive Tree Calendar: The Stages of Olive Tree Growth, Month by Month

🌱 January - Deep Rest

January is the month of great silence. The olive tree is dormant, but beneath its bark, it is preparing for the new season. This is the time when the tree recharges. And the farmers? They observe and prepare the soil for what is to come in the coming months.

✂️ February – Pruning

It’s time to prune. February is the month when we shape the future and give the tree a new form. We prune it carefully, thin it out, and open up the canopy to let light in, in preparation for spring.

🌿 March – The First Sprouts

As temperatures rise, the first buds begin to appear on the olive tree: this is a sign that spring is on its way. The soil is also enriched with compost and natural fertilizers to give the tree the strength it needs to bloom in the coming weeks.

🌸 April – Blooming Season

The olive trees are changing: the branches are covered with tiny white flowers. This is a very delicate phase: the blooming is a promise of the olives to come. The wind, bees, and other pollinating insects all play their part. Nature works in harmony.

🐝 May – Flowering

Not all flowers, however, turn into fruit. May is the month offruit set: when the pollinated flowers turn into the very first, tiny olives. It’s an exciting moment: the tree has accepted the challenge of a new growing season that begins right now.

☀️ June – Growth

Now the olive tree needs sunlight, water, and time. The olives grow slowly, accumulating nutrients. The leaves function like tiny energy factories. Farmers keep the fields clear, monitor them, and intervene only when necessary.

🔥 July – The Resistance

The heat is really setting in. The olive tree is accustomed to drought and demonstrates its incredible resilience. During these weeks, especially if the tree is young, it’s essential to water it consistently to prevent the leaves from curling up and the small olives from falling off.

🌾 August – Toward Ripening

You can’t see it, but something important is happening: oil is beginning to form inside the olive. The olives are starting to swell, changing color, shifting from bright green to a more dull green. They’re finally ripening.

🍂 September – Color Change

The first purplish hues appear on the olives: this is the phenomenon ofveraison, the initial stage of ripening. But we must remember that every olive has its own rhythm, and every variety its own color. It is a month of waiting, monitoring, and hope.

🫒 October – The Harvest

The oil has formed inside the olives, which continue to ripen. Some varieties are already being harvested, while others will have to wait a few more weeks. The time for the harvest has finally arrived: experience the thrill of olive picking by participating in the “RaccogliMi” event.

🤲 November – The Milling Process

It’s still time to harvest and to grind. The nets are spread out, and hands are at work. Each olive is the result of months of labor, wind, sun, rain, and care. It is a traditional and collective effort. And this is precisely where it all begins extra virgin olive oil.

🎁 December – Enjoy and Give

The olives continue to be pressed: the oil is cold-pressed, bottled, and stored. Here at Olivami, we’re doing everything we can to ensure that the oil from your adoptions arrives at your homes before Christmas, so it can be delivered as a gift along with the adoption certificate, carrying with it a story of rebirth, hard work, and passion.

fasi crescita ulivo - uliveto salentino

A Cycle That Is Constantly Reborn

The olive tree never stops telling its story.

Every year is different, every season is unique. Adopting or giving an olive tree as a gift through Olivami means supporting the cultivation of young olive trees that are about 1/2 years old and, in doing so, becoming part of Salento’s history.

It means knowing that, even when everything seems to be at a standstill, life is taking shape. Quietly, tenaciously, wonderfully.

Your contribution can make a difference for the planet and for the future.