How to Replant a Sweet Olive Tree

The sweet olive tree (Osmanthus fragrans) is also called the tea olive or fragrant olive. It does not produce olives and is actually a large shrub. Its outstanding feature is the fragrance emitted from the small white flowers during the cooler parts of the year. It grows and performs best in USDA horticultural zones 8 to 10. The sweet olive tree is slow-growing to 20 feet tall and 6 feet wide, with attractive shiny green leaves all year. Since many people enjoy the fragrance of the sweet olive tree, it is often planted near a window, door or patio.

Things You'll Need

• Sweet olive tree
• Shovel
• Tarp
• Hand held pruning tool
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Choose a day in January or February to replant or move your sweet olive tree. This is when the tree is dormant and spring growth has not yet started.

2. Push the shovel into the soil around the sweet olive tree so you will move as much soil as possible along with the root ball. If it is a large specimen, you will need to cut the roots by pushing the sharp shovel into the soil at least 12 inches from the trunk of the shrub. Because the shrub is slow-growing, you can avoid pruning the shrub if you dig up most of the roots while moving.

3. Dig under the shrub to loosen the roots of the sweet olive tree from the ground. Work slowly and methodically, so no roots are damaged during the process.

4. Pull the sweet olive tree from the ground by handling the root ball of the shrub. Do not pull the shrub by the trunk or the top growth. Pulling the shrub by the trunk will pull the tender roots away from the trunk and damage the shrub. Pull or push the root ball onto a tarp that you can drag or carry to a new location. If it is going to be more than a few minutes before it is transplanted, sprinkle the root ball with water and place it in the shade. Even during the winter, the roots can dry out.

5. Dig a new planting hole so the sweet olive tree is planted at the same depth as the previous location. Be sure the hole is wide enough to accommodate the entire root system. If any roots were broken or damaged during the process, use a sharp pruning tool to cleanly cut off the damaged root section. Add water to the hole while you are adding the soil around the roots to prevent transplant shock and create a good soil seal around the roots.

6. Spread a 1- to 2-inch thick layer of mulch around the base of the sweet olive tree that completely covers the roots. Mulch helps prevent weeds, conserves moisture, and protects the damaged roots so the sweet olive tree can recover from the transplanting process.

References

• Floridata: Osmanthus fragrans
• Clemson Cooperative Extension: Tea Olive
• Washington State University Extension: How to Transplant Trees and Shrubs Successfully

Resources

• USDA: Horticultural Zone Map