Oliveoil

Oliveoil

The Power of Earth and the Light of the Sun

Everybody who visited the Mediterranean countries has met the Olive tree. Olive trees are giving together with wine, figues and citrusfruits the typical biological impression of the countrysides of the Mediterranean.

2 kinds and more than 150 different Olive tree varieties are influencing the large taste collection which is almost similar as wine.

The first Olive trees grew in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean. Today as well as in former historic centuries it still remains the classical cultivation region. Here are growing more than 50 % of the worldwide 800 Mio trees because they find ideal climatical conditions. The trees do need plenty of sunshine, remarkable amount of rain in automn. They do not accept large temperature-differences and only a few days below 0° C. During the hot summer period the tree uses the humidity deep in the earth since the roots reach up to 6 m.

This is the reason that Olive trees grow also in regions with poor soil. Today an artificial irrigation sometimes helps to overcome too dry summer periods.

Olive trees do become a couple of hundred years old if cultivated carefully and can reach a height of 20 m. But today the height of the trees is kept in relation to the conditions of harvest. From new trees the first olives can be harvested approx. after 4 – 7 years, depending on variety and clima. An average of 20-25 kg of olives can be harvested from a tree which means at the end something like 3-4 liters of Olive Oil.