THE TREES
We haven't planted any trees since we arrived.
All the trees have been here for centuries.
That means they are ancient varieties that are indigenous to the land and nowadays rare to find. They can only be harvested manually and so we care for them like they would have back in the days.
The history
The olive trees (or "oliveiras" as they are called in Portuguese) are the Baron's of our lands. They've been around much longer than we have.
Actually, the majority of them are 300 to 1000 years old. That means they came to life somewhere in 1100AD and 1700AD.
We don't know who planted them all these years ago, but it's clear that they were not planted as an olive grove. They live in no particular order, woven in amongst Cork trees, Stone Oak trees and others plants.
They grow naturally and have clearly stood the test of time.
Caring for the trees
The biggest part of caring for the trees comes from caring for the land (the soil, the water and the biodiversity).
However, there are a few things that we do to make sure we have the best possible olives. We prune the dried and wild branches off the trees and also cut the sprouts that grow close to the bottom of the trunk.
These branches would simply take away precious energy from the tree that would not go into the fruit. If we didn't do this, the olive tree wouldn't look like a tree but more like a bush without an apparent stem.
We also keep an eye on pests and insects that could harm the tree and harvest. These are specific types of moths and flies that attack the flowers, leaves and fruits. And finally, we also monitor the bacteria, viruses and fungi that may harm the tree.
Quick Facts
1600 trees
300 - 1000 years old
3 varieties
(Cobrançosa, Galega, Bical)
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