Care during cold weather
Jan. 7, 2026
Pruning an olive tree affected by frost: recovery methods
Some useful tips on how to deal with falling leaves or cracks on olive tree branches caused by the severe cold that has started to descend on our country.
The most frequent manifestations of frost damage
An early sign of frost damage is necrosis of the petiole tissue, which causes partial or complete leaf loss from the tree. When the damage is more severe and affects the branches, the leaves remain on the tree, even if completely browned , as the plant doesn't have time to promote their detachment.
One- or two-year-old branches may experience bark cracking throughout their entire thickness or just on the outer portion. This damage is particularly due to the rapid transition from low nighttime temperatures to mild morning temperatures , or to the formation of ice resulting from the absorption of water by leaves and twigs exposed to prolonged contact with rain, snow, or fog. These changes cause rapid tissue dehydration and the subsequent death of the affected branches or limbs.
Damage to the woody vessels and cambium is one of the most common. It involves the necrosis and devitalization of the final woody rings, which are literally disintegrated. This action damages most of the cambium cells.
Therefore, all branches and limbs that do not have cracks can , to a certain extent, overcome the wounds and restore the plant's activity. If the bark has suffered multiple lacerations and tissue necrosis, any recovery process is lost and it turns reddish-brown until it becomes completely necrotic, resulting in the death of the branch or limb to which it belongs.
Recovery methods
Defoliation affects the formation and development of flower buds; if kept within 20-25%, it can cause barely noticeable effects, while at higher percentages, it reduces flowering and even eliminates it.
1) Plants that have only had light defoliation must receive normal treatment, first eliminating branches damaged by the cold, then pruning must be carried out in such a way as to give the crown the right density and before the plant begins to sprout, to avoid an unnecessary dispersion of reserve substances.
2) When defoliation is around 80-90% and the branches and twigs are mostly healthy, the opportunity will be taken to carry out reform pruning by immediately removing the supernumerary branches, moving towards a structure that provides good illumination of the canopy and facilitates cultivation operations, including mechanical harvesting. Overall, pruning will be vigorous.
3) When defoliation reaches 70-80%, with less damaged branches concentrated at the tips of the branches, these must be vigorously thinned out. Branches and limbs with cracked bark are eliminated. The canopy will be able to regrow in a balanced manner.
4) When one-year-old and two-year-old branches have widespread, deep bark cracks , they are destined to dry out quickly. Reconstitution should be done on the main branches. In this case, those with the best shape and number will be chosen, lowering the top to allow for a more uniform covering of foliage along the entire axis. If the intervention is performed towards the end of April, the beginning of the development of adventitious buds will confirm the validity of the branches on which reconstitution is being performed.
5) If defoliation is complete and the bark on the main branches and trunk remains intact , but has detached from the wood in some depressed areas (detectable by the hollow sound heard when tapping the branch), even if regrowth is conceivable on the main branches, it's best to wait until new growth begins to determine which organs remain fully viable. Only then is it best to perform restructuring pruning, trying to cut not on the terminal areas that have shown signs of revegetation, but lower down, so as not to leave partially necrotic areas. This operation should be performed in May.
6) When there are cracks on the main branches and trunks , the above-ground portion is compromised and an immediate decision can be made: either to cut the stump or to uproot it. For plants damaged at various levels, if the adopted shape has proven unsuitable, it is advisable to proceed with the plant's reform. One of these involves replacing the monocone with a vase-shaped shape. The starting point is to cut the main axis to a depth of 1.30-1.40 m, from which the 3-4 best-positioned suckers will be selected for the formation of the main branches. To cut the stump to the stump, it is necessary to dig up the stump and then cut it approximately one decimeter below ground level, to remove the dead areas and to encourage the development of suckers from the lowest and outermost ovules of the stump. To complete the operation, it is necessary to remove any other decayed portion of the stump.
