Is my olive tree gone forever...

[propacrimbo]

My poor year old 3ft olive tree has thrived until I recently put it in a non draining planter by accident - it now appears to have drowned in the recent wet weather! I only noticed when I saw lots of dry leaves on the floor and removed it immediately. Almost all of the leaves are gone now and the end branches are brittle and snapping. Is it behind salvation? I've put olive feed on it and haven't watered it since

Same thing happened to my tree (from no watering). I gave it a good pruning and has now come back to life!

I drowned an olive tree too, but it has just started to put new leaves out after months and months. If you scratch the bark gently with your fingernail, is it green under the outer layer? If not, try further down the tree. If you find a point at which it’s green, the tree has a good chance of surviving if you make sure its soil is gritty and give it no water at all. Fingers crossed!

We had this when we stupidly planted ours in non-draining pots. Once we'd moved them they really thrived (though our area is riddled with vine weevils so the leaves are still tattered 🙄)

@propacrimbo What sort of soil have you got it planted in now?

By the way, feeding a sick tree is not necessary, especially in the dormant season or if a lot of the roots have died, as it can't take up the nutrients. Maybe your best bet is to put it in a sheltered part of the garden, keep it from drying out, and wait a couple of months. Then find a branch that isn't obviously dead and crispy, and give the bark a gentle scrape with your fingernail. If it is still showing green underneath, then you might be in with a chance.