No I’m not talking about Prime Minister Berlusconi’s latest schenanigans… I wouldn’t know where to begin (besides, then I would have had to call this post ‘Sorry Affairs of State’). I’m talking olives:
Our friend R says the heavy rain of a couple of weeks ago damaged all the fruit. Our friend E says that insects are the culprits. As I’m much more diplomatic than our Prime Minister, I’m going to say they’re both right; and whatever the reason, there is no usable olive crop for us this year, or for anyone else we know. The aforementioned R, who is famous for taking 95 kili of fruit from one tree last year, says he’ll be lucky to get a quintale (100 kili) from his 80 + trees this year. I don’t know if he’ll bother. We have only about 15 trees, and many of them have no fruit anyway, so it would be a complete waste of time for us to harvest.
It’s a pity, because we look forward to the fun of harvesting and then going to the frantoio with friends and watching our very own olive oil come out of the machines (you can see the process here). But this year it’s not to be. We’ll hope for better luck next year, with the olives AND with the Prime Minister.
An Ex-Expatriate 
well, no, never thought one would harvest spoiled olives – assumed they and the leaves would eventually fall right to the ground – like unpicked fruits usually do – then be cleaned up w/ rakes, gizmos – better luck next year!
In my garden, bugs and fungus are just part of the deal. sigh… The closest thing I have to an olive tree is our young fig tree – and it has spots on it’s leaves.
And what is it with politicians? They all seem to have fungus on the brain! Where’s Adlai Stevenson when we need him? As I recall, all he had were holes in the soles of his shoes!
I don’t remember the holes in AS’s shoes – didn’t Bernake have holes in his socks a couple of years ago? I think disease and pests are part of every gardener’s experience – it’s just finding the best way to deal with it all. I’m so glad we don’t have to depend on my gardening skills to eat – we’d starve to death! Speaking of slow death, looks like that’s what’s happening to Berlusconi’s gov’t, but he’s tough and stubborn and won’t give up, in spite of evidently waning support.
If the culprit is a fungus or mold in the fruit from the rains, you might ask the local experts if it is helpful to remove all the spore/disease bearing fruit and avoid contamination next year – much as rose growers remove black spotted leaves completely and clean the area around the plants….. just a thought – no knowledge of olive cultivation at all on this end –
I’ll ask – that’s a good thought. Though it’s hard to imagine someone with a very large ulivetto going to the trouble (and expense) of harvesting useless fruit. I’m glad to have the tip for what to do with my crummy rose leaves, though. Thanks!
It’s just the rule. Olive trees usually have a good harvest every other year, it has been this way so long as my memory is (and my mother’s was). We had a good harvest last year, we hope it will be fine next one. This year we and the trees rest. And the very few olives that are on the trees are hit by the fly. Don’t worry!
Oh Agostino, we keep waiting for that ‘second’ year. We had a great harvest 3 years ago, then we pruned the trees and this is now the third year in a row with no harvest for us. We’re hoping for next year! Isn’t that what all gardeners everywhere say?
Oh my word! How dreadful! That’s like finding out that someone cancelled Christmas! Has this happened before or is it something new? Is it going to affect the availability of olive oil throughout the country/world? Between procuring heating oil and olive oil, I might end up stretched to my financial limits. What a disappointment for you…
I doubt this will affect supply of olive oil worldwide – it comes from so many places – tons from Greece and Spain, for instance. And yes, as Agostino comments, this happens about every other year. As long as you don’t need to heat with olive oil you should be okay…