Olive trees root system (forum)

Tash starts with ...
Hi. Can anyone please tell me how extensive / invasive the root system of an olive tree is please?

Time: 17th April 2009 2:37pm

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About the Author Tash
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au0rey says...
sorry i cant help much. i have an olive tree too...it is very common tree here in melbourne. nurseries shd be able to advise if nobody can here..:)

Time: 18th April 2009 5:43pm

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Dianna says...
Hi Tash, I've never heard of their roots being invasive (not like rubber trees etc.) How close to the house are you planning to put them - they can get rather large. They are amenable to pruning. Have you considered keeping them in pots, now that you've dug them up?

Time: 18th April 2009 6:24pm

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About the Author Dianna
Greenbank in Queensland
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Tash says...
Thanks. I may try mounding them back in the original position I had them in case of another wet season the same as we've just encountered. I had been considering putting them about 15 - 20 metres from our septic system and was worried the roots may invade it. The first option may be safer.

Time: 19th April 2009 8:39am

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Dianna says...
Hi Tash, Olive trees are very long lived and can get rather large, consider the whole situation, the whole backyard, septic tank, evaporation trenches, prolonged wet or dry weather, irrigation, bushfires, everything; before you decide on the final spot to put these trees. I doubt that their roots would get into your septic tank, that part of the septic system should be made with modern polypipe and roots don't invade that like they can do with old clay pipes. The other part of the septic system is the evaporation trench area, this is where roots can get into the pipes and cause problems - I've got this system too - you need to keep this area clear of trees and shrubs. It's difficult to say just how far away the trees should be, to stop their roots from invading the pipes, if the plumber had his way, I wouldn't have any trees at all. Take a bit of time to do some planning.

Our swamp has turned out to be a previously unknown spring, over 7 inches of rain in a couple of weeks and now we know where to sink a bore. So far most of the trees have survived. I have a small pandanus tree planted on the dam wall and it's been underwater for at least three weeks and is still alive.

Time: 25th April 2009 7:44am

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milet says...
How close can i risk planting an Olive tree to a swimming pool? It is all new state of the art construction..advice would be really welcome!

Time: 31st July 2009 7:55am

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Morocco
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amanda says...
Hi Milet - someone may know more about Olives here than me - but I do know that they send down a deep root system - and being a drought tolerant plant would suggest a "searching" root system.

I don't know if I would risk it myself - it might be worth doing a google search to see what u can find out first - as they are grown all over the world - there must b some info out there on the root system.

Time: 31st July 2009 9:40am

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
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Jimmy says...
I always thought the grey leaves with heavy oil layers stopped evaporation.

Time: 31st July 2009 10:46am

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Dianna says...
Hi Milet, I wouldn't risk it either. Imagine having to fix a crack in that pool. Also, the falling leaves would become a problem, they are small and it gets very annoying having to get small leaves out of the pool. You could keep the olive tree in a pot (on wheels) so you can move it around, when it's dropping leaves, move it away from the pool.

Have a nice swim for me.




Time: 2nd August 2009 9:20am

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amanda says...
Hi Jimmy - yes that too. There are many adaptations to drought etc. A heavily buttressed trunk is good for windy sites (eg poinciana) old olive trees show a bit of this too - this is usually a sign of deep invasive root systems. Although I wouldn't imagine they would be as bad as a fig or something!?

I have been told that olives have a very strong tap root that goes down very deep...I haven't dug one up myself. But the wood is some of the most beautifully featured wood I have ever seen - the Italians use it for parquetry floors.

Time: 2nd August 2009 10:53am

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
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milet says...
Hi Dianne..thanks! The olives will be about 5 meters away from the pool edge..I think I'm going to risk it..still think I'm nuts?

Time: 8th August 2009 12:10pm

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About the Author milet
Morocco
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Brendan says...
Hi milet, try burying a 'root barrier mat' between the pool and the tree. These are usually ~ 1 metre deep, and are buried vertically.

Time: 9th August 2009 9:03am

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About the Author Brendan
Mackay, Q
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PbC says...
Hi Millet.. I’m wanting to do a similar thing... the tree would be planted about 5metres away. If you could let me know if you had any trouble between then and now, that would be great 😁

Time: 8th September 2019 7:45pm

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About the Author PbC
Busselton
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