How to Prune an Olive Tree: When and How

Olives fruit on the previous year's shoots, so pruning is a balance: enough to let light in and renew fruiting wood, not so much that you cut off next year's crop. Prune in late winter or early spring once hard frosts are over, ideally in dry weather, and remove no more than a quarter to a third of the crown in one year.

Why Prune an Olive Tree?

• Let sunlight into the centre: shaded wood does not fruit.
• Keep the tree low enough to harvest.
• Remove dead, diseased and crossing branches.
• Reduce alternate bearing by renewing fruiting wood each year.
• Improve air flow, reducing peacock spot and olive knot.

When to Prune

• Main pruning: late winter to early spring, after the risk of hard frost, before or just as growth starts. In mild climates, right after harvest also works.
• Summer: remove water shoots and suckers.
• Avoid: pruning before frost or in long rainy spells; wet wounds let olive knot bacteria in.

Training a Young Olive Tree

1. Choose a single trunk and let it reach about 60–100 cm (2–3 ft) before branching (higher for mechanical harvest).
2. Select three or four well-spaced main branches pointing outwards.
3. Remove shoots on the trunk below them and any growing into the centre.
4. Prune lightly in the first three years; heavy cuts delay fruiting.

The classic shape is the open vase: an open centre with branches around it, like a goblet.

Maintenance Pruning of Mature Trees

• Remove suckers at the base and vertical water shoots inside the crown.
• Thin crowded branches so you could "throw a cat through the tree" (an old grower's rule).
• Shorten tall leaders to a lower outward-facing branch.
• Keep plenty of one-year-old shoots on the outer crown: that is next year's crop.

Renovating an Old or Neglected Olive

Olives regenerate extremely well. Renovate over 2–3 years: each spring remove about a third of the oldest, tallest or most crowded limbs. Hard "stumping" back to the trunk works too, but costs several years of crop.

Pruning Potted and Ornamental Olives

Trim lightly and often in spring and summer to keep a dense, balanced crown. Popular shapes are the lollipop standard (bare trunk, round head) and cloud pruning (pads of foliage on bare branches). Shaping for looks removes much fruiting wood, so ornamental trees crop less.

Tools and Hygiene

Use sharp secateurs, loppers and a pruning saw. Disinfect blades between trees, especially if olive knot is present, and cut just outside the branch collar.

Common Mistakes

• Pruning hard every year, which produces water shoots and no fruit.
• Pruning in autumn in frost-prone areas.
• Leaving the centre dense and dark.
• Topping branches with flat cuts instead of cutting back to a side branch.

More Olive Tree Guides

• How to Grow Olive Trees: The Complete Guide
• Olive tree pests
• Olive tree diseases
• Why an olive tree isn't fruiting

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to prune olive trees?

Late winter to early spring, after hard frosts and in dry weather.

How much can I cut back an olive tree?

Up to a quarter to a third of the canopy per year for normal pruning.

Can you prune an olive tree in summer?

Light pruning and removing water shoots in summer is fine; save major cuts for late winter or spring.

Will an olive tree grow back after heavy pruning?

Yes, olives resprout strongly, though fruiting will be delayed for a year or more.