I got up one morning not knowing that by the afternoon I would realize I actually owned a rock grove and not an olive grove.
During a visit to my favorite hardware store (La Herradura) in Alcaudete, I spotted an agricultural center where I ended up buying 4 baby olive trees. I was looking for a way to celebrate my new land and I figured what better way than by planting some new olive trees of y own. These new additions to the family would be the perfect way to express my state of fruitful grace.
I got my Aceitunero's (olive farmer) shoes on, gather my essentials and headed to Jaragual San Miguel, the name I gave my piece of earth right here in beautiful Andalusia.
This is something I have been dreaming of for a long time. I could hear my thoughts as I walk to the grove, like a radio morning show narrating my most inner feelings and joy.
The sun was casting a shadow in front of me, as if it was gps-ing my process to plant these trees. I took a moment to study the dynamics and relationships of the other tress in relation to the land and decided when I would plant the trees.
I got the permission of the four winds about the trees to begin and proceeded to make the first incision in the soil. At that moment I got an up-close and personal reality of the land.... I have a rock grove!
As I kept chiseling away in my first hole, I was not only digging the hole for a new tree but harvesting a wheel-barrel full of rocks. These I would use later to repair and extend the rock-walls by the grapevines.
was surrounded by many existing saffron plants. If you look at the picture you can see the green grass-looking plants, those are the saffron plants.
It will be about 3 years before these baby trees get established and begin producing fruit. The trees in my property and most trees in the area were grafted to insured a harvest every year. Picual trees usually give fruit every other year, but when they are grafted, they are able to produce olives every single year. A common grafting pairing are the Picual and Marteño trees.
Local agricultural fact-Almond trees are the perfect trees to graft other trees, for instance, fruit trees. I have a plum tree grafted on an almond tree. The root system on almond trees is very strong making it the perfect grafting base.
I did have an inspector making sure I was doing everything right during the planting process. He's taking a quick siesta under the olive tree. I would say he is so cute, but that would probably be considered unethical and inappropriate. I did a good job anyway!
I planted two more trees across from Papagina and they were named Manatuabón and Atabey.
The fourth tree I decided to plant in the small garden across from the Cortijo the next day!
The dirty fingernails, the muddy shoes, the Andalusian inducted sweat and the satisfaction of planting new trees planted my spirit and love right along with the young additions top Jaragual San Miguel.
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