The Care and Feeding of Olive Trees. Olive trees require a well-drained soil and a sunny position. Avoid sites where water stands during rainy periods or where ground water seeps into a hole two feet deep. Do not, however, confuse the olive for a desert plant.

To keep in good health, olive trees need at least two full watering’s to field capacity (full depth of roots eg. 2.5 ft in 10 year old trees), each winter. If water can be applied more regularly during winter or at other times of the year then this will be most beneficial and will result in increased crops.Established olive trees require fertilizer to stay healthy and produce every year. They need a balanced fertilizer with a 16-16-16 nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium ratio or similar.