Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Journal January 7, 2014 Vegetative stage lighting

The Manzanillo olive tree has also been moved to a warmer environment with feeding resumed.  This tree was received in August, 2014 and has been in shock since then.  

It was literally plucked from a grove in California, had the top and branches chopped off, then spent a week in a box being shipped across the entire country.  No wonder it went into shock.

Finally, I noticed the tree beginning to put out new growth while under winter chill conditions.  It is my intention to get it growing again quickly, so it can perhaps make up for the several months of growth it lost.

The light being used is a 150 watt reflector LED grow light.  For now I am only using the vegetative stage, however, the tree is still receiving 3,000 foot candles with the light a foot above the canopy.  The photoperiod will be sixteen hours and the temperature will average about 74 degrees.  

These trees fruit early,  bear clusters of large olives, and I suspect that someday this tree will be one of my best.

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