By Pambr
United Kingdom 
we inherited a small olive tree from an elderly relative a couple of years ago, it was looking a bit sad so we repotted it and put it in our garden in a sunny spot, it recovered really well and was looking good by the end of last summer. We covered it in fleece for protection over the winter (which with hindsight was probably a mistake) and I think it got too dry because when we uncovered it in spring it looked pretty much dead and hasn't perked up all summer. Thinking it was dead I cut all the branches off so it would fit in the bin then I noticed some shoots with green leaves on coming out of the bottom of the trunk. I stopped butchering it but I'm not sure what to do now as it's just a bare trunk with a few shoots at the base - should I cut it off just above the shoots and see what happens? I realise it's is completely the wrong time to be pruning an olive tree but I wasn't pruning I thought I was chopping it up for firewood! I was also thinking it might be best to bring it inside for some TLC over the winter as the poor thing has open wounds. Any advice on how I might be able to resurrect the tree would be very welcome, thanks.
18 Sep, 2011
Answers
I think Ojibway93 is right, but make sure that while it is inside, it gets as much light as possible, or you'll probably lose it, as my daughter did hers.
18 Sep, 2011
Yes, a sunny bay window, with weekly "showers" to wash off the spider mites, would be best, if kept indoors. Otherwise, a greenhouse or conservatory that doesn't get below -3ยบ C is best. Give it a light dose of tomorite, to encourage dormancy, before putting it to bed.
18 Sep, 2011
My standard olive got snapped off by the snow a few years ago. I was left with a 'stick' in a pot, but it soon resprouted and is back to normal. Olives are best in large pots in the UK. Yes, cut off the dead top as this is doing no good. Either leave it to form a branching bush, or choose one shoot( in spring) to retrain into a standard.
20 Sep, 2011
I think that cutting it back to the new shoots and taking it inside for the winter will give it a chance to be an olive bush at least. Worth a try?
18 Sep, 2011