Can someone help me with my olive tree?

[midnightinmoscow]

Had it for 4 years or so. I'll admit to doing nothing with it really, other than water and feed it. It's in a pot on my patio.

However, it has started to grow upwards and is thinning out. Nothing like the bushy plants I see elsewhere.

Can someone advice me what I need to do? I assume some pruning is required, however I have no idea where to start.

TIA

[Poledra]

I will admit to being actively neglectful of my olive tree (nearly killed it through frostbite two years ago) and it's in desperate need of attention but I am too scared don't know where to start.

[funnyperson]

I have an olive tree in a patio pot. Neighbour has 4 olive trees in the front garden. Both face southwards. Neighbours olive trees are thriving on low maintenance in gritty soil on a slope and I suspect they do better in the ground than in a pot.
You could a) repot into poor sandy gritty soil or b) plant out into well drained gritty soil.

[funnyperson]

This is what the rhs have to say and hey are the experts
apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=138

[samuelwhiskers]

Mine went a bit thin too and I googled what to do and they said to prune it back a bit which I did and it is sooo much nicer now. I also repotted it.

[MewlingQuim]

I had a little olive tree in a pot. I planted it in my south east facing garden in heavy clay and it is now about 3 metres high. It has shown no signs of damage in the last few winters when temperatures have been down to -10. It is a lovely tree now and even gets tiny olives on it.

If you are not too far north you could plant it out, they are hardier than people think.