Why Are Olive Trees Planted Far Apart? And the Story of Giorgakis…
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If you’ve ever walked through an olive grove, you may notice something: the trees are never crowded. They stand at a respectful distance from each other, sometimes six, even ten meters apart. But why?
The answer lies in the way olive trees grow—and thrive. These trees need plenty of sun, air, and space for their roots to expand. Without enough sunlight and airflow, they become more vulnerable to diseases, produce fewer olives, and struggle to grow strong and healthy. Their branches need room to stretch. Their roots, which can grow deep and wide, mustn’t compete with their neighbors for water and nutrients. Space is life for an olive tree.
Now let me tell you a story I’ve carried with me since childhood…
At our farm in Laconia, there was a neighbor named Giorgakis—short for George. I remember when he bought and cleared his land. I must’ve been a kid, watching from the side of our field as he planted row after row of young olive trees.
But there was something off. He planted them very close together.
My grandfather shook his head. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing,” he said with a quiet frustration. I didn’t fully understand then, so I asked Giorgakis myself, “Why are you planting them so close? Don’t they need the sun to grow?”
He smiled and explained his plan: he wanted to use less land and keep the trees tall and skinny, trimming them so they'd still have space to grow upwards. It made sense in my young mind—it even sounded smart.
But I also know how that farm ended up.
Years later, the trees had grown and fought for light. Their branches tangled, their trunks too close. The soil dried up faster, and disease came easier. Eventually, he had to cut down almost half of them to save the rest.
That’s the thing with nature—you can’t always outsmart it. You can only work with it, respect it, and give it what it needs to give back to you.
Stay tuned as we share more behind-the-scenes stories from Yiotis Olive Farm—real experiences, real trees, and real lessons from generations of olive growers.