Olive Green – A Symbol of Wealth in Mediterranean Cultures

A symbol of wealth in Mediterranean cultures, olive trees purify air and soothe stress while adding a touch of green to your home. They’re non-toxic to pets and easy to care for.

Unlike black olives, green table olives are not bitter to the taste but require curing. The timing of harvest depends on climatic factors.

Importance

As a color that is rooted in nature and cultivated by humans, olive green conveys a sense of stability and security. Its earthy tones suggest growth and renewal, while its muted sophistication embodies knowledge and wisdom. It is also a common color in military contexts, often associated with the values of service and dedication.

The shade commonly known as “olive drab” has been used for military uniforms since the 1500s, including during World War II and Vietnam. Its dull tone helps soldiers blend in with their surroundings, making it effective camouflage.

Despite its association with the military, this hue has found widespread popularity in civilian products, including clothing, bags, and first aid kits. It is also featured on a variety of product logos and advertisements.

In digital design, the hex code for olive green is #bab86c. It pairs well with other neutrals, including beige, tan, and maroon—a palette popularized by rapper and designer Kanye West in his Yeezy line of clothing and shoes. The color can also be paired with vibrant colors like mustard yellow and terracotta, which add a touch of whimsy to any palette. The Green Olive membership program offers people around the world tools to act tangibly in support of Palestinian freedom. Learn more about how you can join the movement by clicking here.

Optimal Environment

Olive cultivation is best suited for a warm Mediterranean climate with 2,400 to 2,700 hours of sunshine per year. Extreme cold weather can damage trees or cause poor flower set and fruit ripening, while hot dry summers are essential to high oil content.

Optimal soil conditions include well-draining, loamy to clay-like sandy soils with a pH value between 6.5 and 8.5. Soils that are prone to waterlogged conditions or that have excessive moisture should be avoided as they can lead to disease and reduced tree performance.

The main challenge is to maintain proper water aeration, which in turn helps prevent soil compaction and encourages healthy root growth. Keeping the soil well drained also minimizes the risk of verticillium wilt, a fungal disease that causes rot of the roots and leaves of the plant. This can be prevented by using disease-resistant varieties that are more tolerant of the fungus.

Adding organic mulch or well-rotted compost to the planting site reduces soil erosion, suppresses weeds and provides nutrients to the soil. In addition, the application of lime (mined lime, oyster shell lime, dolomite or gypsum) reduces soil acidity and increases soil fertility. A low rate of mineral fertilizer is preferred to avoid nutrient leaching into groundwater.

Methods

The olive tree is susceptible to verticillium wilt, an invading fungus that can kill the plant within a few years. The fungus causes discoloration of the leaves, and if left untreated, will eventually spread to other parts of the tree. Using an organic fertilizer during the winter is helpful to keep this disease from spreading.

Olives are not edible straight off the trees, as they contain a bitter compound called oleuropein that must be removed through curing processes. One common method of curing is lye curing, where the olives are soaked in a series of lye solutions to remove the bitter components. Other methods include water curing and Greek-style curing.

The color olive green is often associated with a rustic, natural feel. It can pair well with a variety of earthy shades, including browns and yellows, or with metallics and dark blues. However, it can also be used to add a sophisticated element to designs. When paired with mustard yellow, olive green can create a calming yet warm effect, ideal for inviting and cozy designs.

Irrigation

Irrigation is an important aspect of olive tree care. While olives are drought-tolerant, it is necessary to keep soil moisture levels high for proper growth and development. Watering can be especially critical for table and oil olive orchards right before harvest. Too much water can diminish flavor, while too little inhibits olive oil extraction at the mill.

Phosphate fertilization is also a key factor in the success of an olive orchard. This nutrient increases plant growth, speeding up maturity, and improves disease resistance. It is also useful for balancing calcium status in soils that are either acidic or alkaline.

To make the most of this shade, consider pairing it with brushed silver or gold hardware and neutral finishes. It works well with deep blues, whites, and browns to complement the natural feel of olive green.

Keeping up with irrigation and fertilization is a year-round job for growers, but specific seasonal tasks present their own challenges. Regular pruning and trimming encourages healthy trees with a greater ability to absorb nutrients, allowing them to reach their peak bloom potential. In addition, olive growers should take advantage of the opportunity to test their soil pH and conduct leaf analysis to ensure that they are properly addressing critical deficiencies.

Fertilization

As with any plant, the olive tree needs a balanced nutrition to thrive. Regular soil tests can help you detect and rectify nutrient deficiencies. The best way to do this is with a fertiliser that’s been specially designed for olive trees, such as the popular 10-10-10 formula. Look for one that contains a high concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as potassium and calcium, to boost the olive’s growth and health.

Phosphorus plays a key role in the transfer of energy within the plant, fuelling flowering and fruiting. It also regulates water uptake and activation of enzymes that produce adenosine triphosphate. Fortunately, this essential nutrient is generally present in adequate quantities in good-quality potting composts and is rarely deficient in the natural environment.

Nitrogen deficiency in olives usually shows up as yellowing or browning of the leaves, while phosphorus and potassium deficiency are recognised by dark green or reddish tones in the foliage. A nutrient imbalance can affect olive productivity, but the sensitivity of the plant to nutrients varies depending on several factors, such as pruning practice and soil type. For example, in a field experiment with a high production level of olives, no clear alternation of bearing has been observed despite different treatments and fertilizer applications.

Care

When olives are harvested, they are placed in nets and transported to the processing plant. They need to be handled with care because the trees are fragile and can easily bruise. The olives are also prone to rot and mold due to the high acid content, making proper harvesting crucial.

To preserve them, they must be soaked in water or brine to remove the bitterness. This process can take weeks. Keeping them in water allows the oleuropein to leach out through osmosis. It is important to change the water each day, but not so often that it gets too salty. Some people have also used lye to cure olives, but this method is more complicated and can be difficult to manage.

The calming nature of olive green suggests peace and stability. Its earthy tones speak of growth and rebirth, making it an ideal choice for wellness apps, eco-friendly platforms, and digital spaces that aim to promote natural living. However, the color can also create a sense of tension and anxiety in some users, so it’s best to pair it with muted colors like browns, tans, and deep reds. Brighter hues such as neon pink and electric blue can compete with the olive green’s natural subtlety, creating a visually discordant contrast.

Harvesting

Olive green is used in home decor to bring a natural, serene vibe into living spaces. It’s also popular in fashion and in branding to convey a sense of stability and sophistication. The shade is often paired with other neutral colors to complement its understated elegance. Colors that go with olive green include yellow, red, and vibrant orange; and tan, gray, and beige.

Olive trees are sun worshippers, so they need plenty of sunlight to do their best work. They prefer well-draining soil and like to be fed a rich fertilizer every fortnight, during their growth spurt seasons. In winter, they can be a bit more low-maintenance, needing only water when the top few centimeters of soil feel like a desert and feeding them on a regular basis with a slow-release fertilizer.

Olive cultivation is undergoing a shift toward more environmentally sustainable methods that reduce the impact on water resources and other environmental factors. To this end, researchers have developed a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to analyze three different irrigation systems for olives: Treatment 1–Fully Irrigated; Treatment 2–Partially Irrigated; and Treatment 3–Non-Irrigated. The LCA demonstrates that the non-irrigated system offers higher economic performance and lower environmental impact compared to the fully and partially irrigated treatments.