How to Prune an Olive Tree

Olive trees are slow-growing and generally require little annual pruning if they are healthy and well-maintained. If you want to shape your olive tree while it’s still young or around two years old, check it annually at the end of spring or early summer for light pruning. With proper care, your olive tree could live for 50 years or more with minimal effort.

Ensure your pruning tools are clean and sharp. Make sure your saw or pruning shears are both clean and sharp. If your tools are old and may no longer be sharp, you can sharpen them yourself or take them to a tool shop for a small fee.

• Soak the saw blade or shears in isopropyl alcohol for 30 seconds to disinfect, then carefully wipe dry with a clean cloth.

Use pruning shears for branches less than 2.5 cm in diameter. Use double-blade shears available at tool stores to trim the smallest branches and shoots. Consider using shears with a power-assisted feature to make pruning easier on your hands.

• Look for double-blade pruning shears at tool shops.

Use a handsaw to cut branches up to 8 cm in diameter. For branches in the densest part of the canopy, with a diameter between 2.5 and 8 cm, you should use a handsaw. You need a saw with a rigid, long blade, at least 38 cm in length, for the best results.

• 38 cm handsaws are available at most tool stores.

Use a chainsaw carefully for larger branches. For older olive trees that haven’t been pruned in a while and need to be trimmed of larger branches, you may need a chainsaw. Use a lightweight chainsaw to avoid excessive strain and take breaks as needed. Stand on firm ground or a stable surface, and wear a helmet, safety glasses, gloves, and thick clothing.

• Avoid using a chainsaw if you have medical conditions that may make physical exertion difficult or if the chainsaw is too heavy for you to control.

Make cuts at a slight angle. A slightly angled cut will prevent water from pooling on the cut surface and causing infection. Cut as close as possible to the main branch from which the smaller branch is growing.

• Avoid leaving stubs when making cuts. Be sure to cut cleanly and closely to the main branch.

Start pruning when the tree reaches about 1 meter tall. Once the tree is 2 years old and about 1 meter tall with 3-4 side branches, you can begin the first pruning stage.

Prune the tree once a year at the end of spring or early summer. Once the tree starts to bear fruit, it's typically in the fall, making late spring or early summer the best time to prune before new buds appear. Aim to prune on a dry day to prevent fresh cuts from getting soaked and infected.

Avoid over-pruning young trees. It's important to strike a balance between shaping the tree and allowing it to grow and store energy. Olive trees can become stunted if pruned too much.

Shape the tree like a martini glass. The healthiest olive tree shape is that of a wide martini glass, with the trunk forming the stem. Most branches should spread outward and slightly upward. The branches in the middle of the ‘glass’ should be pruned to allow light to reach the tree.

Select 3 or 4 strong side branches to form the main shape of the tree. To start forming the martini glass shape, choose 3-4 strong branches that grow outward and upward from the trunk to form the main structure of the tree. Leave smaller branches that grow from these, even if they grow downward.

Observe the tree when harvesting the fruit. When the olive tree bears fruit, you will notice that the main branches become heavy with olives. These branches should be preserved. However, other branches may grow straight up or appear old and weak.

• Take note of the vertical, old, or weak branches that should be pruned the following year.
• Olive trees may stop bearing fruit every two years. Light annual pruning is still the best way to encourage new growth.

Remove the vertical branches. The branches that grow straight up, particularly the weak and spindly ones near the top, should be removed. It’s also important to maintain a wineglass shape without crowded vertical branches, so you should cut these as well.

• The key here is to allow birds to fly through the tree's canopy. If your olive tree has dense vertical branches in the middle, birds will be unable to fly through, and you need to remove some of these branches.
• Olives only grow on the side branches, so another reason to prune vertical branches is to help the tree direct its energy to the fruit-bearing branches.

Cut off the energy-depleted and old side branches. As the olive tree ages, some side branches that sprout from the main branch may become old. When you inspect the tree during harvest, you may notice these branches once bore fruit but are no longer productive.

• Prune these branches to stimulate the growth of new fruit-bearing ones.

Remove any side shoots growing below the tree’s fork at any time. Any shoots sprouting beneath the tree’s main structure, close to the trunk, should be removed. These branches are typically small, growing straight up, curving down, or growing outside the main shape of the tree.

• Feel free to prune these side shoots at any time during the year, whether it's the right time for annual pruning or not.

• Be cautious when using pruning tools or equipment. Always wear gloves and protective clothing.

• Sharp and clean pruning shears or a hand saw
• Chainsaw and helmet (optional)
• Protective glasses, gloves, and thick clothing
• Ladder