A spot of “Tuscan landscape of longing” in the midst of Kaiserstuhl vines

“By planting some vineyards and terraces in a picturesque location that are no longer planted, I was able to fulfill my wish to develop the area in Ihringer Bühl by planting two olive groves - their beautiful appearance with the gnarled, 80 to 100-year-old trees and the foliage shining silver in the wind opens up an immersive, Mediterranean-style view over vines, cypress and olive trees. The planting of almost 80 trees should also provide the opportunity to produce substantial quantities of olive oil under favorable conditions.”

Variety selection (origin: Andalusia)

• Planting of 78 80- to 100-year-old olive trees with high trunk reserves
• Selected two-variety cultivation with complementary Picual and Arbequina trees
   
• Conditional foliage frost tolerance down to -12 degrees Celsius
• High bilateral pollination efficiency
• Early ripening, making olive oil production a realistic possibility
• Sustainability through harvesting, rejuvenation pruning and replanting instead of the clearing and burning that is common in Andalusia

INCREASINGLY ADVERSE CLIMATE EFFECTS

• Winds from various directions, which are not appreciated by olive trees
• Early warmth in the year, which triggers sap flow and the onset of shoot growth, so that the latter remains at risk until mid-May if the risk of frost remains unchanged (cf. viticulture)
• More extreme summer weather conditions, which impair fruit ripening and oil formation in wetter and cooler conditions
• Heat during flowering, which dries out the efflorescence
• Overall greater susceptibility of the olive tree because, unlike vines and figs, which are leafless during dormancy, it is an evergreen and is therefore at risk from evapotranspiration and insufficient water supply, among other things

However, extreme temperature fluctuations of up to 25°C, which occur increasingly frequently during the annual transition periods and in winter within a few days, are proving particularly problematic. The olive tree reacts to these fluctuations by shedding its green leaves, which can lead to total loss.

• The loss of energy stored in the foliage can be particularly debilitating for young trees.
• The photosynthetic area required for energy production can be significantly reduced.
• In the following year, the tree attempts to compensate for this deficit through purely vegetative growth, forming new shoots and leaves.
• This can lead to a total loss of the harvest.
• These phenomena can be further exacerbated by the alternation typical of olive trees.

“Taking these aspects into account, commercial olive cultivation in Germany appears to be considerably risky due to climate change - contrary to expectations, it is not a sure-fire success.”