Mowing Grass and Mulching Pruned Twigs Under the Trees: An Eco-Friendly Approach to Olive Grove Maintenance

Today, I’d like to share with you the experience of yesterday’s work in our olive grove. In our effort to cultivate olives in an environmentally friendly manner, we opted for the ecological method of mulching instead of using herbicides or a cultivator to remove grass under the trees.

Mulching is a technique that involves covering the soil around plants with organic materials such as mowed grass, pruned branches, compost, or leaves. It offers a multitude of benefits for olive tree health and the environment itself, including:

• Reduced weed growth: The mulch layer prevents weeds from breaking through, which can compete with olive trees for water and nutrients.

• Improved moisture retention: Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil, which is particularly crucial during dry periods.

• Nutrient enrichment of the soil: As mulch decomposes, it releases nutrients into the soil, contributing to better olive tree health.

• Erosion reduction: Mulch protects the soil from wind and rain erosion.

• Enhanced soil biological activity: Mulch attracts worms and other beneficial organisms that improve soil structure.

In our olive grove, we utilized pruned olive branches for mulching. We finely chopped them using a hand-held branch shredder and dispersed them under the tree canopies. This layer of mulch will retain moisture, suppress weed growth, and break down over time, releasing nutrients into the soil.

Apart from mulching, we also conducted other tasks in the olive grove yesterday, such as thinning the canopies, removing diseased branches, and inspecting the olive trees for pests and diseases.

We believe that this application of ecological cultivation methods will lead to healthier olive trees and higher quality yields in the long run.