The Department of Primary Industries in Victoria has released an information sheet on how olive groves can recover after a fire, if managed properly.
Although a fire affected olive grove can look devastated, trees could have the potential to recover and be productive again if managed well.
Tree recovery depends on the degree of heat damage, tree size and age, moisture stress before and after the event and the presence of undamaged trunks and scaffold branches above any graft unions. If cuttings were planted, all regrowth can be used to re-train a new tree.
Recovery of olives after fire is likely to involve pruning, replace or repair of the irrigation system, some nutrition management and patience whilst the trees re-shoot and indicate the percentage of recovery. Assessment is then required of the blocks viability – depending on how many trees have survived.
To read the full article, go to this link: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfa.nsf/LinkView/D7B6F75A6318105ECA256F66001DD233E99188EA90D34C39CA257157002515B9
