While factually true, this does not apply at all to how olive trees are farmed in intensive plantations in the real world.
The typical modern plantation in Spain/Portugal uses very young and small trees (they start giving fruit by year 4) supported by intensive automated watering (typically from nearby dam projects) and with the trees spaced out just right for automated picking.
> Olive varieties. Speed things along by choosing the right cultivar. Olea europaea "Rubra" not only can begin producing fruit in its second year, but it also bears prolifically and is a relatively early ripener. "Koroneiki" and "Arbequina" begin fruiting early, at about three years old, compared with other varieties that take five to 12 years to reach bearing. "Koroneiki" is the primary variety grown in Greece for oil production. "Arbequina" is commonly used with newer agricultural methods for high-density planting for olive orchards. All three cultivars are hardy in USDA zones 8 through 10.
The typical modern plantation in Spain/Portugal uses very young and small trees (they start giving fruit by year 4) supported by intensive automated watering (typically from nearby dam projects) and with the trees spaced out just right for automated picking.
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