Propagation         Once propagation was performed using a rootstock grafted with  “Oliva Tenera Ascolana”, but today it is carried out through direct sprying propagation using one-year old semi-wooden scions (as indicated by Hartmann in 1950).

      Planting and activities round the year

Soil levelling and removing of stones are followed by deep ploughing. If necessary, provide a system to prevent possible damage caused by water erosion. Then go on with the determination of tree spacing or staking before planting two-year old trees (these trees will have root balls) and fastening them to their  supports. Current opinion is that the optimum  plant spacing is 6 by 6 (with trees at the vertex of a square) corresponding to a maximun density of about 300 plants /ha (this should ensure a maximum production of 6000 kg/ha).

Fruit production begins after 5/6 years after planting or 7/8 from grafting (since two-year old plants are usually used).

During the year the olive tree needs:

- medium-depth tillage before winter, in order to soften the soil and to prepare it for winter rainfall;

- little superficial tillage in spring and summer to reduce water loss and to keep weeds under control.

Nowadays it is advisable to set a drip irrigation apparatus when  trees are planted in order to be able to help  plants immediately after plantation and later on during summer – which is the most critical period  – in order to prevent damages caused by  possible lack of water. Plants have proved more resistant to possible damages during blossoming and fruit development if they do not lack water. Irrigation is also helpful to reduce olive dropping and to obtain fruits of uniform dimensions. In arid climates, irrigation improves the quantity and quality of production.

As far as the self-incompatibility of this culture is concerned, the rate of  pollinating varieties to be planted in the same piece of  land is 15-20%; experiments have proved that the best pollinating varieties are: “Lea”, “Rosciola”, “Pendolino”, “Frantoio”, “Leccino”, “Moraiolo” and “Giraffa”.  Though a very good pollinator for  “Ascolana”, “Lea” is rarely chosen by farmers because it starts  producing late, it is very sensitive to cold and it is not particularly productive.

Pruning and Training

 Nowadays free plant training is very common because it is the most suitable for intensive cultivations; when necessary though, it is advisable to bend the branches. The training must let enough air and light through the branches in order to develop a strong and well-spaced framework and to help an early fruit production.

Yearly pruning has to be carried out taking into consideration plant physiology, all operations necessary to cultivation and  the reduction of production costs without forgetting  that in central Italy, bud differentiation takes place at the beginnning of March.

Pruning is important in order to avoid uneven production, to reduce the unproductive period following planting. Though it is important to avoid excessive  pruning, dry branches, suckers, water sprouts and any other useless part need to be eliminated as the following old rhyme reminds:

  Chi ara l’oliveto chiede il frutto,
      Chi lo concima lo prega di farlo,
      Chi lo pota lo costringe a darlo.  (Columella)

                                 (Who phoughs the olive grove asks for olives,
                    who fertilizes it  begs for them,
                    who prunes it gets them.
                                                - translator’s note)     

Remember the following:

- limit pruning in order not to delay fruit production;
- let the foliage grow according to its natural pattern as much as possible;
- prune to allow air and light inside the foliage;
- during the first two years after planting, pruning can help to train the foliage;
- avoid excessive pruning of young trees in order to let them develop their foliage early and allow the plant to grow and strengthen according to its natural biological rhythm;
- carry out pruning for production after bud differentiation, just before the plant restarts it vegetative functions;
- the fruits will be found on the bending and horizontal branches grown the previous year. 

Do not forget that “Oliva Tenera Ascolana” gives fruits early, and though its production is not particularly high,  it is rather steady.

 Fertilizing

In order to obtain a high yield, take into consideration  the composition and feritility of soil, the need of the plant for water and nutrients, the different plant needs during the different phases of growth. Remember that the olive tree has the same needs of any other  fruit-tree.

Nowadays fertilizing is carried out using granular fertilizers together with liquid manure irrigation and leaf fertilizing.

According to  soil composition the following standard fertilizing is recommended: 100kg/ha phosphorous pentoxide, 150 kg potassium oxide and 30,000-50,000 kg of well rotten manure. This is not necessary  for fertile soils, for soils with good drainage or whenever liquid manure irrigation is chosen.

To achieve a high plant growth rate and fruit production, different fertilizers are to be used as the plant grows. During the initial phase following plantation, fertilizing is necessary in order to help plant development and to stimulate an early fruit production: it should be concentrated in the layer of soil where the tree roots develop, performed in autumn and when the plant restarts its vegetative functions.

During the phase of fruit production fertilizing can also help the plant to built up an extra supply for the following year - and it  should be determined in consideration of  possible losses due to climate and soil structure (leaching, fixation etc.), water supply, composition of soil and the different metabolic plant needs during its various phases; it should be concentrated in the layer of soil where the tree roots develop.

In case of organic fertilizing, manure (50-70 kg/tree) has  to be buried where the tree roots develop within the leaf line of the tree. Other options are to use green manuring or to cover the soil with various herbaceous plants.

For annual mineral fertilizing, use 40-60 kg/ha of phosphorous pentoxide, 60-100 kg/ha of potassium oxide and 60-80 kg/ha of nitrogen.

 Both general and leaf fertilizing should also include main micro-elements useful to obtain an optimal bud differentiation and and to limit  fruit loss due to ovary abortion.

Advisable times for fertilizing are:

a) spring: all elements

b) autumn: phosphorous and potassium together with a part of nitrogen (in spring the nitrogen left)

Do not forget that winter nutritional lack can have a bad influence on the development of fruits (i.e. over-accumulation of oil in the fruit) and on bud differentiation of the following year.

         Harvest

The time needed for full fruiting is 10 years and the life expectancy of the tree can be of about 35/40 years. Olives ripen early, starting from the last ten days of September - when the purcentage of pulp sugars is 3-4% and the fat percentage is not higher than 12-13% of the weight of the mesocarp.
	The olives are hand-picked (gently stripping the branches) in order not to damage the fruit, and this operation takes place before they turn dark-coloured, that is from  20th September to 10th October (according to some the best date is 29th September, day of  “Santo Michele”).

Olives do not have to be bruised or crushed and they are put in thin layers in baskets (if possibly softly lined ones).

An adult plant can produce 20-30 kilograms, half of which are first-rate olives. A worker (depending from many variables such as the height of the plant, its yield, etc) can gather from 30 to 40 kg/day.