Evolving in a garden in the Saumur region, the editor-in-chief of NewsJardinTV, Patrick Mioulane, invites you to get to know the olive tree better, a fascinating tree, heavily loaded with symbols. Patrick first evokes the Bible and Noah's Ark with the return of the dove and its olive branch in its beak which, since then, symbolizes peace. He then discusses the venerable aspect of the olive tree, due to its exceptional longevity and you will discover the oldest olive trees in the world and the oldest tree in France which is also an olive tree. Our favorite gardener is next to a specimen whose stump is over 500 years old. It no longer bears living branches, but has developed numerous shoots at the foot, a sign of its almost eternal vitality. Patrick then offers you a bit of botany and he first presents some plants belonging to the Oleaceae family whose emblem is the olive tree: ash, forsythia, lilac, privet, jasmine, Enkianthus, Phillyrea and Chimonanthus. He then recalls the Mediterranean origin of the olive tree of which no wild specimens are known, except for the oleaster which is a subspecies with a bushy habit. Concerning France, the olive tree was introduced there by the Phocaeans when they founded Marseille (Massalia) in 600 BC. Recognizing an olive tree is very easy, especially in old trees with a gnarled and convoluted trunk. In younger trees, you must observe the oblong, leathery leaves, dark green above and silvery gray on the reverse. The leaves are borne in pairs (opposite) and have short petioles. Our favorite gardener then moves on to the practical part by suggesting that you repot an olive tree that he has been growing in the same pot for 5 years and that really needs a new substrate and a larger container. He reminds us that the olive tree grows very well in a pot or container provided that it is placed in a sunny spot. The work begins by stripping a colony of houseleeks (Sempervivum) that were covering the surface of the pot, then by extracting the plant while preserving the root ball. Patrick removes as much of the old substrate as possible, too compact in places, taking care not to damage the roots. Having chosen a large Mediterranean-style pot, our expert gardener reminds us of the importance of drainage for the olive tree and he places a good layer of clay balls at the bottom of the pot. Moving on to the substrate, he reminds us that in urban conditions, potting soil remains the most practical growing medium to use. However, it is not suitable for olive trees, which need stony and calcareous soil. Patrick therefore suggests mixing marine shells for about a third of the volume. This product, primarily intended for mulching, particularly in the vegetable garden, is made up of the natural deposit of bivalve shells (mussels, clams, etc.) at the bottom of the sea. It is a granular and above all calcareous material that will advantageously balance the pH of the substrate. Patrick places his tree in the pot, taking care not to bury it too deep. He emphasizes the importance of compacting the substrate between the roots and uses a bamboo stick for this. Repotting ends with the installation of a surface layer of black pebbles that will hold the substrate in the pot, while creating a nice colorful contrast with the plant. The operation ends as it should be with watering and advice from our passionate gardener for very moderate and even non-existent water inputs during the winter. An informative video that combines culture in the broad sense with practical culture and good advice for successfully growing one of the most popular trees of our time. Thank you all for your loyalty to NewsJardinTV and don't forget our weekly meeting every Saturday with our podcast "Welcome to the Garden!" which you can follow live from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. with the possibility of chatting throughout the duration of the show. Gardening friends!