Growing Olive Trees in Brisbane: Best Species, Tips & Tricks

Olives may have originated from the Mediterranean belts, but luckily, they don’t only grow in Mediterranean climate. True, they have their preferences but aren’t too fussy and will happily live elsewhere–in or around Brisbane too!

Good news if you’re a fan of the taste of this magic fruit, as well as that of its oil.

Demand for olives has been rising across Australia and you will find multiple olive groves on the outskirts of Brisbane. The best part is, growing these tough and versatile trees isn’t difficult and you can try growing one in your garden as well.

Best Olive Species to Grow in Brisbane

The olive is a hardy tree with excellent adaptability. But that doesn’t mean it will take just about any set of conditions. One thing is, they need a cool but non-frigid winter for flower initiation.

In a subtropical climate like that of Brisbane, olive trees can grow all they want throughout the year. But the warm winters make fruit generation more challenging. This means you’re potentially looking at a healthy-looking tree that yields very few fruits–or even none at all!

Plus, the all-too-humid climate is a good breeding ground for pests.

However, there are a few olive varieties that can grow and fruit in subtropical without many issues.

Manzanillo Olive

This medium tree with a dense, rounded canopy can have an impressive yield in the climate of Brisbane. The best part is, while the fruit is primarily a table variety olive, it’s good for oil as well.

The fruit of this particular cultivar is often cured with the so-called California black-ripe method. Small wonder that it’s widely loved when you look at how much flesh it has versus very little work around removing the pit.

Arbequina Olive

This smaller variety can flower quickly even in warm and humid climates and the fruits have a high oil content. It’s a resilient tree that has even been shown to thrive in high density. The best part is, it requires minimum maintenance!

Just like Manzanillo that we mentioned above, it’s just one of hundreds of varieties that originate from Spain.

Del Morocco Olive

Don’t let its name fool you: Del Morocco may have originated from Morocco, but it’s incredibly hardy and flexible. Its native environment is much drier than our part of the world, with wet winters and dry summers being exactly the opposite from Brisbane. 

Its fruit is remarkable too. If you’ve ever tried olive oil with a distinct, bittery-fruity taste with a spicy kick, chances are it was extracted from this variety.

Del Morocco can be grown in pots as well. A fully-grown tree generates medium to large fruits and is a good choice for home gardens.

Frantoio Olive

With this variety, you can have a piece of Tuscany too in your Brisbane garden!

The Frantoio olives thrive in warm and humid conditions and generate an aromatic oil. Being a medium-sized tree, it grows well on the ground, as well as in a large pot.

Our suggestion–if you want to grow olives commercially in Brisbane, it’s best to plant a few trees and try out how they perform before going all in. Home growers can expect the best fruit growth once the trees fully mature, which is around 6-7 years.

How to Grow and Maintain Olive Trees

Before you plant an olive tree, make sure that you have enough space for it. Some Arbequinas can get 15 feet wide and 20 feet tall. If you are planting multiple trees, they should be kept 15-20 feet apart.

This is, of course, just a rule of thumb. Some cultivars, like the mentioned Arbequina, will handle dense planting very nicely too.

Here are the major growth requirements for olive trees.

Let There Be Sunlight

Olive trees love bright sunlight so make sure that the tree gets 6-8 hours of direct sunlight every day. For indoor plants, placing them close to a north-facing window is the best option. Now, you do NOT want the branches to chase the sunlight and lean too much towards one side. So, giving the pot a quarter of a rotation every week is a good idea.

Soil Type

While they can grow well in acidic as well as alkaline soils, olive trees hate wet feet. So, use well-drained soil that dries quickly. Using gravel or sand in the potting mix is a good idea. 

Watering

If you are growing the plant in a pot, water it when the soil is dry and avoid overwatering. Supplemental watering is not required if it rains. Since they are Mediterranean plants, olives can withstand drought conditions well. For plantations, irrigation will be needed between November and May.

Fertilising

Olive trees are not heavy feeders, so little to moderate fertilising is the best option. If the soil is mineral deficient, use a well-balanced fertiliser and fertilise growing trees every other day. When the growth rate drops in winter, they’ll need even less food.

For planted trees, use a liquid fertiliser. Mature trees will also require minerals like calcium, magnesium and boron for proper fruit development. Distribute the fertiliser evenly 25-35 centimetres from the base of the plant. This will help the roots to spread out.

Pruning and Mulching for Olive Trees

When a tree looks ancient, it usually acts ancient too!

In other words, you don’t have to prune your olive trees unless they are at least 4 years old. Ideally, the tree should have three or four branches emerging from the trunk. This will help in establishing the basic structure.

When it comes to pruning mature trees, check out this old Tuscan proverb: an olive tree is only well pruned if a swallow can fly through its branches.

No need to go looking for swallows, though. Once the tree is old enough, a light prune will ensure that sunlight reaches the centre through the canopy. This is the so-called open-centre pruning where you remove any growth that fills out the centre. For a potted plant, you can remove the tallest branches to control the height. 

More drastic pruning methods are used for older and unproductive trees. A major section of the central branches is removed to increase sunlight penetration and fruiting areas. But if you don’t want to take the risk with the tree, it’s best to have a chat with an expert.

You can use straw, leaves, and grass clippings as organic mulch for olive trees. It helps to remove weeds and retain moisture in the soil which is good for young plants. Besides, the decomposed mulch will transfer nutrients back into the soil. Apply mulch around the base of the tree keeping a distance of around 20 cm from the trunk.

Olive Harvesting and Yield

In Australia, harvesting takes place between autumn and early winter. As they ripe, olives change their colours from green to red, and finally black. The time of harvest will depend on the type of flavour profile you need. The oil content goes up as the fruit ripens. 

Traditional harvesting is done by hand, but many producers use mechanised processes as well. Plucked olives are cured before consumption as the plucked ones contain some bitter compounds. Curing can be done by dry methods or by using water or brine. Generally, olives get processed within 24 hours of harvesting.

According to the Australian Olive Oil Association (AOOA), the olive harvest in 2023 was between 10,000 and 20,000 tons. The volume of olive oil extracted from the crop was around 18 to 19 million litres. Keep in mind that the oil content in olives depends on factors like tree vigour, fruit moisture content, and crop load. Generally, a heavy crop is expected every alternate year.

In terms of yield, the best olive tree for Brisbane and also for Queensland is the Arbequina. The average yield from a mature tree can be around 18 kg. However, the problem of lace bug infestation has become a major issue for Australian growers in the current year. 

John Symington, an olive farmer, pointed out: “We were due for a slow year, but the lace bug infestation has scoured all of our trees… I also expect that the next harvest in 2025 will be poor, as the trees will put their effort into recovery.”

Growing Olive Trees in Brisbane: FAQs

Will olive trees grow in Brisbane?

Yes, several olive tree species grow well in the climate of Brisbane. To be more precise, almost any olive tree will grow in Brisbane. But its subtropical winters may be too warm to allow fruition with some of the more sensitive cultivars.

What is the lifespan of an olive tree?

Healthy olive trees have an incredible lifespan of around 500 years. There are trees in the Mediterranean region that are above 2,000 years old. Even more fascinating, some of them still bear fruit! Like this ancient and beautiful lady from Crete that was likely still a toddler when Christ was born or Vesuvius erupted on Pompeii.

How long does it take for an olive tree to bear fruit?

In ideal conditions, your tree will start bearing its first fruit in between 3 and 5 years of age. But don’t expect miracles in terms of yield. You’ll have to wait up to 8 years to get a full harvest! But if you want it sooner, you can choose Arbequina, which tends to fruit faster.