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and weevils, lack of rain during critical growth stages, warmer-than-usual winters that reduce flowering and strong winds that can blow away blossoms before the olives have time to set. But Charles has come up with clever ways to combat some of these problems.
“ We don’ t use pesticides on the trees,” he says proudly.“ Do you see that white thing around the trees?” He points to the sash of cotton wool tied around the lower part of the trunks.“ It’ s to stop weevils from getting to the leaves.”
As I peer closer at the wool, I find it dotted with the tiny beetle-like insects that emerge from the soil at night to feed on the leaves.
“ I also have an app that tells me if the trees have olive flies,” he says, ushering me toward a solar-powered monitor.“ It even detects the water levels in the soil and the temperature.”
To protect the grove from the strong winds that often batter the country,
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Charles has lined the perimeter with Cipressino olive trees, which act as windbreaks thanks to their upright conical shape and dense foliage.
THE ART OF OLIVE OIL TASTING
As a local, I use olive oil almost every day. After all, it’ s a staple of the Maltese diet, along with honey, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, capers and sheep’ s milk cheese.
But when Charles asks me if I’ ve ever truly tasted olive oil, my answer is no.
“ Real extra virgin olive oil tastes nothing like the mass-produced kind you find in shops,” he says, as we step into the stonebuilt room in the grove.
Here, Charles keeps stainless steel tanks filled with Bidni oil. After a few weeks of settling, the oil is carefully transferred into clean tanks to separate it from the sediment. In the summer months, Charles moves the tanks to
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Clockwise from left: Siggiewi Church of St. Nicholas; cheesemaker Tony Farrugia from Ta Zeppi Farm in Siggiewi; Meet the sheep at Ta Zeppi Farm |
images: alamy |
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