WELCOME TO Val's Alentejo -I write about my region of Alentejo. My art ,painting, my cottages, Family life, my animals -Travels And my love for Roses- and rural country life.

Wednesday 12 November 2014

olive trees/pruning

This year the olives all dried up during the heat that we experienced in October.  So its no olives for me this year..hence no olive oil.   My olive trees are organic.. they are as they are. I do not use chemicals.  If I were to use chemicals, I might have had a better crop.  Never used it and never will.  Most years I am lucky. A few of the farmers around here, dont use chemicals.   very little fruit on the tree.

  What happens is;- a little tiny worm gets inside the olive  and they become contaminated.  They cannot be used for preserve or oil.

 My paths are full of fallen olives and their leaves.   They turn into pulp with all the rain,not a very pretty sight.
  When its olive picking time.. the trees leave a lot of leaves and twigs..  Something I have to put up with, as I do like them once they are pruned and the new leaves start to grow.
 We started pruning the pepper trees and the olive trees in the inside garden area.  Lots to clear up..
 i will get some wood out of the pruning.      

I will let you into a secret!   I don't like olives.  I use olive oil for all my cooking.. but I don't eat the olives.    When i have told some people, they say.. "What" and you grow so many olive trees. ! Ironical.


 looking better already.   Its rained since Monday.  So can only clear this up when it stops. Took these photo in between showers.





Wood pile from last year.. slowly we will be stacking it with the next pruning of the outside trees.

Its 19º here today..The rain has just stopped and there is a little sun peeping through the clouds.














I wish you you all a very good week.  Hope your weather is not so bad.

Thank you for your comments on my last post.  The Egrets have gone again.

Val

21 comments:

  1. Dear Val, yes I am surprised you do not like olives, but the trees are beautiful. I remember last year when you made the olive oil, which is lovely for cooking. I always use it too. We also make a wood pile with the prunings from our trees, very handy for the winter fire. Happy week. xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Patricia.. Unreal really, that i dont like olives. ):- Hope to get more wood piled up next week. Thanks for coming over Patricia.. always nice to see you. x

      Delete
  2. I don't eat olives either, Val, but I do use olive oil to cook with.
    Have a blessed day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Snap Sylvia.. love to cook with olive oil..food is healthier and tastes good. x

      Delete
  3. i like olive oil but don't like olives, too. :) i like that you keep your grove organic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Tex.
      I have written about the olives before..
      very messy on the ground at the moment.

      Delete
  4. I just adore olives Val but there was a time when I didn't. I was given some green olives a few years ago stuffed with lemon and fell in love with them. Over the years I've experimented and now eat the black ones too. Olives have an acquired taste and I've definitely acquired it. What a shame you lost all of yours. Do you have a stock of oil stashed away for a rainy day. I've just realised what I've said and no pun intended! Have a great week dear friend.
    Patricia x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have tried to like the olives ,but just dont. My father didn't my mother did and my sister does.
      But its lovely to have the trees .. yes I have a stack of olive oil.
      Funny Patricia.. I never lost my taste...never had one. ):-
      thanks for coming over..

      Delete
  5. Oh, those glorious olive trees of yours, Val. That is so funny that you don't eat the olives. I love olives, especially the Greek ones. And it seems that when people use olive oil while cooking, the food tastes better. It's raining already where you live! We had a bit of rain, but didn't last long.

    I hope you are enjoying these November days, Val. Everything looks lovely on the alentejo.

    ~Sheri

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The area i live in Sheri.. is just about all olive trees.
      oaks and pastures.
      A lot of people didnt get their harvest this year.
      Yes, its raining here..very dull weather.
      Thanks for visiting.. nice to see you.
      val

      Delete
  6. I love olives and yearn to have an olive tree of my very own, Val. :) Sorry that your crop failed and hope things will be better next year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You might be able to grow an olive tree in a pot Perpetua.. if its in the correct place.
      A lot of farmers have lost their olives ..it happens from time to time.
      Olive trees are very sensitive to climate. Thank you for visiting..

      Delete
  7. That is how my peaches turned out, you had a good crop last year as I remember so maybe next year with our fruit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Olives are a fruit .. I have seen the apricots on my son's trees just dry up. Yes, had a good crop last year.
      Thanks for leaving your comment. nice to see you

      Delete
  8. Val, you do manage to keep busy all the time. Sorry that you won't get any olive oil this season. I love it to cook with too, but I do like to eat olives also. There are pepper trees growing alongside the freeway on the way to the kids and I always think they would make such a pretty arrangement for Christmas. We did stop one time and I tried to pick a couple of branches but they were full of bugs so didn't want to get them in the car..Happy Wednesday..Judy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do keep busy Judy.. remember, that I have Pedro to do all the heavy work. I couldn't do all that alone. I clip and clear the smaller plants and bushes.
      My pepper trees were drooping to the ground.. they are looking so nice now. I have used them for christmas decoration.
      Thanks for coming over Judy.. always nice to read your comments.

      Delete
  9. I can imagine how messy the fallen ones must get, Val but just the thought that they grow in your yard is worth smiling about!...:)JP

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right JP. I am lucky.. they look lovely once pruned and new leaves start to show. They also give shade.
      Thanks for your comment and visit.. x

      Delete
  10. Dear Val, How sad to lose an entire harvest of olives. I know how you feel. Our fruit trees had no fruit this year...for the first time ever
    We can't grow pepper tree berries in our climate but whenever I can find them I love to use them in decorations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Gina,
      I think its just nature's way of working.. some years good some bad. Its not the first time. If i sprayed chemicals they would be ok.. but i dont want to do that.
      Yes, the berries make nice decorations.

      Delete
  11. What a shame you will have no olive oil this year. Will the worm affect next year's crop too? I used to hate eating olives too but they have grown on me over the years. The black ones are my favourite, Sarah x

    ReplyDelete

comments will be published after approval