We have around 2500 trees in our grove, which in the scheme of things is tiny. Looked at for two people doing the job though, it can be overwhelming. You may have the same issue with your trees, especially if they are vigorous like ours, and put out loads of new growth along with suckers from the base.

What do you do about that?

The way to eat an elephant, they say, is one bite at a time. So let’s have a look at a few ways to reduce the size of the pachyderm.

1. Best practice is to get around your trees around every three or four years. So, take your total of trees and divide by three or four. That’s your pruning goal for the year. We’re using a three year cycle because our grove divides fairly neatly into three groups of around 850 each.

2. While it is ideal to prune when the trees are less active (e.g. after harvest in winter), we also have to be mindful that working in the cold and wet–especially last year, and especially with COVID still very much kicking around–might not be a smart move from a health standpoint. You can prune olives any time you like, and with varieties like frantoio and corregiola they will hardly notice. Even less vigourous varieties are still pretty robust. Don’t be afraid to get the pruners out when you have a mind to. I’ve been tackling our backlog (sigh!) over this summer.

You will prune off some of your harvest! Again, don’t despair. This year at least, looks like there will be plenty to go around.

3. Have a pruning strategy in mind. We have equipment that needs to get under the canopy, so we can harvest efficiently. OK, so my task here is to make sure our net on wheels can actually fit under the tree so I can harvest it. Any branches that are low to the ground, and/or pointing due south, have to go! If there are olives on them, console yourself with the thought that if you can’t get at the fruit, it might as well not be there anyway.

4. Don’t burn yourself out. Know your physical limitations. I try to do no more than one or two hours at a time, somewhere between 10 and 20 trees depending on their condition. It’s heavyish work, and the downside of pruning in warmer weather is that it can be hot and humid. Make sure you stay hydrated, and be sun smart.

5. One more little bit of maths. If I can get 2o done per day, over a five day week I can prune 100 trees. Since I need to do 850 this year, that’s a bit over 8 weeks. Two hours a day for eight weeks? Not a huge ask! See, the elephant wasn’t so big after all.

Finally, the best way to finish this job–is to start it!