Why is my olive tree shedding leaves?

[GorgeousLadyofWrestling]

I bought it last week from M&S and carried it home, no leaf shedding.

I’ve had it about a week and we’ve had plenty of sunshine. It’s in a spot with full sunshine. I’ve watered it twice, trying to be mindful of not watering it too much. There was a frost the other night and it was outside so I’ve brought it inside by a very sunny spot.

Since I brought it home, it’s dropping leaves at an alarming rate. Is it dying? If so, why? How could it be in fine in the daylight-less environment of M&S and then be unhappy with me/ my garden?

Can you post a picture? That might help.

By the way, olives do not like the wet, so you might be drowning it.

It could be a combination of being too wet and perhaps suddenly too cold and it has gone into shock. Such a pity, i'm sorry to hear that.

Is there a guarantee with it from Marks?

No, no guarantee unfortunately. I didn’t even grab the receipt, like a fool.

I’ll take a pic now.

Sounds like it's had a shock, being outside is still quite cold air temperature at this time of year, particularly with the wind.

I’ve had it inside these last few days as it’s been very rainy and I didn’t want it to get anymore water.

@Timeforabiscuit yeah that’s what I’m wondering. Is it beyond saving?

It still has leaves so there is hope! I don't know what air temp an olive tree needs, but in general for out of season plants a sunny spot by the window (but not right in direct blazing sunshine, make the plant work a bit) and not fussing it, tends to bring them round.

Although olive trees don't need alot of water, they do need some. Now you've watered just leave it alone, clear the leaves from the bottom and see if it settles down.

Good luck!

I think it might come back, but don't water and if you've a warmer sunny spot indoors keep it there for a while.

https://www.evergreenseeds.com/olive-tree-losing-leaves/

Ooh looks like I was wrong about the direct sunlight! Olive trees are greedy for it, so the more sun the better!

Thanks everyone! Good to hear there might be hope. I swear I can see a few tiny buds so maybe there’s hope it’s not dead.

We have amazing sunlight in the morning in the back of the house and then at the front from the afternoon so I have been moving it back and forth each day to maximise the sunshine.

If I watered it Monday, when should I water it again? I looked it up and it said to water regularly but not too much. What does that mean??

My olive tree isn't doing well, either. I think the snow / cold weather in early December last year damaged it.

I'd wait till the soil feels quite dry before you water again. I'd suggest keeping it in the one spot indoors in the sun and don't keep moving it about for a while.

Are the buds healthy looking?

Yeah they look…fresh.

I really don’t know much about plants or gardening - why would moving it daily to get more sunshine upset it? I don’t want to upset it. Are they easily upset? Plants are a whole new world…

I thought it might be best to let it settle in one place for a while to recover. It's telling you it's not happy with how it's being treated.
Wasn't there a tree care note attached to it?

Ours did this last year. Lost all its leaves and looked pretty much dead. I don’t think we watered it enough. Gave it plenty of watering and it came back really well. So long as the pot has good drainage and it isn’t sitting in a pot that will hold the water you can’t really over water it as far as I can tell, as the excess will just drain away. Ours has always been outside.

Plants feel so tricky 😬 It started dropping its leaves whilst it was outside so then I brought it inside because we had so much rain forecast. I’ll keep it in one spot and see how it gets on.

The info just said place it in direct sunshine as much as possible and not to water too much 🤷🏻‍♀️ How much is too much?

They don't like being inside.

It might have dropped a few leaves outside because it'd been in a warm shop, but I don't think having it indoors is a good idea.

Hahaha oh god, this tree, I just can’t do right for doing wrong with it 🙈🙈🙈

Ok so I’ll put it outside tomorrow and just leave it be and see what happens.

I agree with leaving it outside, they don't generally like the heat and lack of light inside. Mine has been outside all winter and looks fine. I don't generally water it till the weather warms up. Just make sure it's out of any winds and able to drain freely. It may lose a few more leaves but it should recover.

Most supermarkets buy plants that are kept in terrible conditions before they reach the shops, so it's entirely possible the damage was done before you bought it. It probably has been kept in very cold conditions and in the dark., possibly for weeks.
( source - I'm a florist)

The other misconception with plants like olives in pots is that they don't need much water. They do: the soil volume in the pot can't hold as much water as the plant needs. If it was planted in the ground it would be a different matter because it could call on the reservoir of water in the ground. Don't drown it, but keep it damp for a few days and as warm as possible in one position. I would t move it too much, you're over stressing an already stressed plant.

IME plants don't like being moved around too much. I'd leave your olive outside in the spot which gets most of the sun during the day - mine is in a north east corner of the garden and gets some sum in the morning and also from early afternoon. It has lost some leaves over the winter but overall is fine and I rarely water it.

Put outside, in a sheltered spot in the sun. Give it plenty of water but raise it off the ground with shingle or feet to allow it to train.
The plant will have been ‘stressed’ being in the shop and being given a variety of growing conditions. Olives can survive pretty harsh conditions, but will need to be watered regularly when in a pot during the growing season but needs to be able to drain and not be over water-logged. Leave it be to recover.

Train = drain!

Can I jump in too please! I’ve had my olive since last Christmas and she’s not happy either! She’s in a pot outside… we had olives last year but has now lost more than 50% leaves. I’ve started to water thinking I’d neglected her. But I also think she may be pot bound? All the olives I see are in pots… but do they get pot bound and that’s making the leaves drop? I also think I need get some pot feet.

I also have two naked olive trees! First time they've dropped all their leaves, I'm blaming the snow. It killed my lovely palm tree so I'm generally arsey with chilliness and totally over winter, so happy to blame it for olive drama too.

Mind you, nearly every potted shrub in my garden has up and died over winter, or is on a go-slow-grow, so maybe I have just been cursed.