When to plant olives in Saltillo

Why these dates

Tolerates short spells near -10C once mature. Young trees are considerably more tender, and prolonged wet cold kills more olives than dry cold ever does.

Olives are planted once and then left in place, so there is no sowing offset to resolve. Nor is there a dormant season to plant into: this crop keeps its leaves and keeps growing through the winter, which is exactly why cold damages it. The window on this page therefore waits until the last frost in Saltillo has passed and the soil has begun to warm, giving the roots the longest possible run before the cold returns.

Hardiness is not the obstacle here. Saltillo is zone 9b, comfortably inside the range this crop is rated for, so an established plant should come through an average winter without protection.

One caution specific to warm climates: this crop needs roughly 200 hours below 7.2°C (45°F) over winter before it will flower properly, and the coldest month in Saltillo averages 12.9°C (55.1°F). Low-chill varieties exist for exactly this situation and are worth seeking out by name.

Do not expect a crop in the first year. A plant set out now should give its first worthwhile pick around year 4, and will then produce every year after that, which is what makes the planting decision worth getting right the first time.

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