Medieval Farming, Olive Trees

The olive has a history almost as long as that of Western civilization, its development being one of civilized man's first accomplishments.

The olive requires a long, hot growing season to properly ripen the fruit, no late spring frosts to kill the blossoms and sufficient winter chill to insure fruit set.

Green fruit is damaged at about 28?, but ripe fruit will withstand somewhat lower temperatures. Hot, dry winds may be harmful during the period when the flowers are open and the young fruits are setting.

The trees survive and fruit well even with considerable neglect

Olive trees take forever to grow. If you plant an olive seedling, and take good care of it, twenty years later you will begin to get olives from the tree.

People who plant olive trees are going to take care of them their whole lives so that their kids will have olives when they grow up.

Farming Slaves, Weeding, Ploughing, Seeds, Irrigation, Sickles, Threshing, Wheat, Barley, Millet, Oats, Rye, Olive Trees, Grapevines