Olive trees, ‘Olea europaea’, are the oldest fruit trees and certainly one of the most important fruit trees in history. Olive culture has been closely linked to the rise and fall of the Mediterranean empires and other advanced civilizations over the centuries. Because olive trees offered wealth and future food supplies to established civilizations, agricultural nations became stable societies, the result of a secure expectation from past experience of an uninterrupted supply of food and olive oil. This factor was a necessary requirement for the growth and increase of the population. Reliable fruit and olive oil production means that olive trees must exist in a stable society and peaceful environment. That stability must extend over many years, as most ancient seedling olive trees required eight or more years before producing the first crop of fruit.
Productive olive orchards meant that a foundation for the great empires of Greece and Rome had emerged and developed into complex economic and political forces. It is interesting to note that the historical decline of these empires corresponded to the destruction of their olive groves which reduced the available supplies of olives, olive oil, olive wood, and olive soap. In relation to the destruction of olive groves, it is interesting to note that in Israel’s wars with Palestine, Israeli bulldozers destroyed 50,000 olive trees. That act of agricultural destruction sparked considerable anger and unrest throughout the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, because the economic livelihood of many Palestinian farmers depended on their produce from uprooted olive trees. Furthermore, the olive tree was historically a symbol of ‘peace and goodwill’, and when the olive trees were razed to the ground near the city of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and the ‘cradle of Biblical history’, that removal of the olive trees seemed a deliberate action. provocation to end ‘peace’ with Palestinian settlers and farmers.
The medical properties of olive oil were reported by many ancient Greek writers and philosophers, its importance in creating nutritional benefits and wealth for Greek citizens continues in abundance today: some Greek olive orchards contain a million or more trees. Aristotle wrote extensively about the accepted methods of growing olive trees successfully.
Greek mythology records that Athena, the Goddess of wisdom and peace, plunged her magical spear into the earth, and it turned into an olive tree, so the place where the olive tree appeared and grew was named Athens, Greece, in honor of it. to the Goddess, Athena. Local legend tells us that the original olive tree is still growing after many centuries in the ancient holy place. Citizens still claim that all Greek olive trees originated from rooted cuttings that were grown from that original olive tree. Homer affirmed in his writings that the ancient olive tree that grew in Athens was already 10,000 years old. Homer claimed that Greek courts sentenced people who destroyed an olive tree to death. In 775 BC Olympia, Greece, on the site of the ancient Olympic stadium, athletes competed and trained, with the winners being hailed in triumph and crowned with a crown made of olive twigs. Ancient gold coins that were minted in Athens showed the face of the goddess Athena, with a crown of olive leaves on her helmet and holding a clay container of olive oil. The Greeks began the cultivation of the olive tree in the year 700 BC.
The sacred lamp that was used in ancient Greek culture to illuminate dark rooms at night was fueled with olive oil. Aged olive oil was also used in church sacred anointing rituals at weddings and baptisms. Herodotus wrote in the year 500 a. C. that the cultivation and export of olives and olive oil were so sacred that only virgins and eunuchs could cultivate olive groves. The first documented olive plantations may have occurred during the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete and are believed to have been growing around 3500 BC. That civilization predates the Mycenae olive fossils discovered in 1600 B.C. C. and later in the Greek empire. Sturt Manning, an archaeologist at Cornell University, reported in Live Science magazine (April 28, 2005) that the most devastating volcano in 10,000 years occurred on the Greek island of Thera, after which the city of Akrotiri was completely destroyed. buried by falling ash. The finding of olive wood and olive seed fossils buried near the site has shown through carbon dating that the volcanic eruption occurred between 1660 and 1600 BC and may have contributed to the total destruction of the advanced Minoan civilization (Atlantis ) on the island of Crete and may have led to the formation of the Sahara desert in North Africa after vaporizing native forests there.
The fragrant flowers of the olive trees are small and creamy white, hidden among the thick leaves. Some cultivars will self-pollinate, but others will not. The flowers usually begin to appear in April and can continue for many months. A wild seedling olive tree normally begins to flower and produce fruit at the age of 8 years. The fruit of the olive tree is purplish-black when fully ripe, but some cultivars are green when ripe, and some olives turn coppery-brown. The size of the olive fruit is variable, even on the same tree, and the shape ranges from round to oval with pointed ends. Some olives can be eaten fresh after being sun-dried and taste sweet, but most olive cultivars are bitter and need to be treated with various chemical solutions before becoming edible olives. If the olives are thinned on the tree branches to 2 or 3 per twig, the final size of the olives will be much larger. The fruit is harvested in mid-October and must be processed as soon as possible to avoid fermentation and loss of quality.
Olive leaves are grayish-green in color and are replaced at 2-3 year intervals during the spring after new growth appears. Annual and severe pruning is very important to ensure continuous production. Unproductive branches are removed from trees, “so that it may be more fruitful” John 15:2. An olive tree can grow to 50 feet with a 30 foot branch spread, but most growers will keep the tree pruned to 20 feet to ensure maximum production. New shoots and trees will emerge from the roots of the olive stump, even if the trees are felled. Some olive trees are believed to be over a thousand years old, and most will live to the ripe age of 500 years.
The olives are usually felled from the trees with sticks, harvested mechanically, or by shaking the fruit off the trees onto a tarp. Most ripe olives are removed from the trees after most of the fruit begins to change color. It is important to squeeze the olive oil within a day after harvest or else fermentation or a decline in flavor and quality will occur. Olive oil can be consumed or used in the kitchen immediately after it is collected from the press. Olive oils are unique and distinct, each brand of olive oil has its own character, determined by many factors, such as those unique flavor differences found in fine wines. Commercial prepared olive oils can vary greatly in aroma, fruit flavor; whether the flavor is floral, nutty, delicate or smooth, and the coloring of olive oil is quite variable.
Olive oil produces many health benefits when used in cooking or when poured over salads. The use of olive oil can improve digestion and can benefit the metabolism of the heart through its low cholesterol content. Experts claim that consuming olive oil will make a person have shiny hair, prevent dandruff, wrinkles, dry skin and acne, strengthen nails, stop muscle pain, lower blood pressure and nullify the effects of olive oil. of alcohol.
Olive trees can survive drought and high winds, and grow well in well-drained soils up to a pH of 8.5 and the trees can tolerate saltwater conditions. In Europe, olive trees are normally fertilized every two years with an organic fertilizer. Alternating production can be prevented by heavy pruning, and trees generally respond to this very quickly and favorably.
Olive trees that have been vegetatively propagated or grafted should be purchased, because seed-grown trees will revert to the wild type and produce small olives with a bland taste. Olive trees are more resistant to diseases and insects than any other fruit tree and are therefore sprayed less than any other crop.
Although commercial olive production in the United States is only 2% of the world market, the recent introduction of promising cold-hardy olive trees from European breeders has stimulated great interest in growing olives throughout the South. Many European immigrants to the United States grow their own olive trees in large pots, which can be moved in and out of the house during the changing seasons.