Longacre Olives is situated in a smallholding area of Langebaan situated on the west coast 130km north of Cape Town. The olive estate was conceived through the need to utilise the ground with a harvestable product that hypothetically required the minimum of maintenance and care (little did I know). The first 400 Mission olive trees were purchased from Stargrow Nurseries in Citrusdal www.stargrow.co.za and planted in the spring of 2005. The planting was done in a 5x3m grid pattern with the rows running north, south. The general area is well populated with a small buck species and every effort is made by the property owners to allow them free access to all parts, this unfortunatly led them to cultivating a liking for fresh new growth olive leaves. The trees suffered severe damaged by the buck and growth over the first 18 months was minimum. Quite a few of the trees were replanted as the damage by the buck as well as a flock of goats (who debarked and broke the branches of a lot of trees) was judged to be too severe. A fence was erected arround the 1 hectacre where the trees are planted and normal growth has been experienced since. In 2007 a further 600 Mission, 150 Frantoio and 120 Manzanilla trees were planted. These trees were purchased from Weltevrede Olive Nursery in Wellington. The Frantoio and Manzanilla trees were planted randomly between the existing Mission trees to act as pollinators. A small block of Frantoio was created for future oil produvction. Due to the very heavy southerly winds that blow during the summer months, the past 2 years has led me to the conclusion that the best planting arrangement was to hedge the trees. I made the decision to plant a tree between every existing tree, giving a 5x1.5m grid pattern, also given that the decision was made very early that the trees would be on a permanent dripper irrigation system.

Olive Varieties Planted

Mission Olive

Spanish missionaries took it to the west coast of America in the 18th Century. During the first half of the 20th Century it was widely planted in California to supply the table olive trade. DNA analysis shows this to be a clone of the Cornicabra olive, some times called Cornezuelo said to originate in central Spain, near Toledo.

Mission Olives are unique in that they are suitable for both the pressing of oil and the curing of table olives.  Both black oil-cured and green brine-cured table Olives are mild in flavor. Depending on the degree of ripeness, the oil made from early harvests can have a mild grassy, astringent taste, while a later harvest yields a smooth and mild taste.

Mission is by far the most popular cultivar grown in South Africa. Because of its suitability to black processing, its reliable production under a wide range of conditions and its dual purpose use.
The Tree grows vigorously, has an upright growth habit, may reach a height of about 15 meters, and so has to be regularly topped to facilitate harvesting.
The Fruit is relatively resistant to bruising, it is easy to pick, transport and handle during processing.
The Oil has a medium to high content of excellent quality fruity oil and any fruit that is unsuitable for table use can be profitably utilized by the oil mills.
Agronomic Characteristics Mission is most suitable for black table olives and when correctly processed will give a good quality product with an attractive appearance, medium-firm to plump texture and good taste. 

The mission olive is widely accepted as South Africa's “general purpose” olive and most widely planted.

Frantoio Olive

An Italian cultivar originally from Tuscuny, they produce high quality oil. Widely used as a pollinator for other olive varieties.

Fruit is small in size, ripens late in the season, and has a very high oil content. The flesh to pit  ratio is average. Frantoio produces regular heavy crops. Although the tree has medium to high vigour, the mature tree is generally low at about 8 metres. Frantoio is said to be the benchmark for olive oil in Italy. The cultivar has an  expansive crown and long pendulous fruiting branches. It is generally said to be self fertilising however a number of growers use pollinators.

Climatic Considerations - Presently, Frantoio is grown mainly in the Tuscany region of central Italy. However, it has proven itself to be extremely adaptable to diverse and harsh climatic conditions in other areas while still giving an excellent crop. It is  very resistant to extremes in cold. Many Frantoio were planted in Tuscany in the mid eighties to replace trees which were killed during the 1985 freeze.

Commercial Viability - Gives an  excellent quality oil in great quantities. The fresh oil is generally quite strong/bitter and is therefore used widely as a blending oil to increase the flavour of less distinct cultivars. Its excellent balance of acids allows the  oil to be kept for up to two years. Frantoio is the most productive cultivar in  central Italy. A test has shown that the acidity of oil taken increases as the season progresses. If further trials show this  to be true, it can be easily overcome by picking the fruit during the first two months of the harvesting period rather than later in the season.

Pests and Disease - Sensitive to  peacock spot (Cycloconium oleaginum or Spilocaea oleaginea).

Pollinators - A number of Italian growers say that planting an occasional Pendulina cultivar may increase crops by up to 10%. If a grower chooses to plant Pendulina for cross-pollination, 5-10% of the total orchard's trees as Pendulina is sufficient.

Manzanilla Olive (Manzanillo)

This olive is especillay suited to green table olive production, has a low oil content and softens on ripening. Manzanilla is the most widely grown variety in the world. It is a Spanish olive used for all things related to olives. The most common use is for salted green and stuffed fruit. The fruit can be picked and used at different stages of maturity, depending on its intended use. Most people who have eaten olives would have most likely tried Manzanilla.

The flesh-to-pit ratio is superb (8.2:1), its flesh is an  excellent texture and it is considered a 'free-stone' olive as the seed is very  easy to remove from the flesh. This attribute makes it highly sought after by the processors of pitted and stuffed olives. The fruit are apple-shaped, light  green-coloured and spotted with tiny whitish dots. They mature to a black colour  with a hint of purple and are a medium size at 4.8g.

The tree has a low, spreading habit and while it is similar to many olives in that it can grow up to ten metres tall, most Manzanillo trees  stay at around five metres for ease of management and harvesting.

With normal cultural care Manzanillo is a regular annual bearer  with the fruit maturing early in the season. It has cropped well even in warm winter areas with little or no frost.