Nerium oleander
Oleander
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 30 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below −5 °C
- Water need
- High
Photo: Alvesgaspar · CC BY 2.5 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The oleander is a Mediterranean evergreen shrub that blooms tirelessly in white, pink, or red from June to September, making it a quintessential terrace plant in the south.
Care instructions
Place the oleander outdoors in full sun and warmth from mid‑May (week 20). It is a wet‑tolerant plant; keep the pot in a water‑filled saucer and water abundantly in summer. Fertilize weekly from April to August. Overwinter in a bright location at 2 to 10 °C. Prune dead or faded wood only in spring (April, week 15) as buds for the next year are already set.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, well-drained, humus-rich, lime-loving, nutrient-rich
Oleander likes a well-drained, loamy, humus-rich and lime-containing substrate. In a container, mix good garden soil or compost with a little sand; the older the plant, the more loamy it may be. Watering with lime-rich tap water does no harm. Waterlogging is the biggest enemy, so provide a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Apr–Aug
From April, when the oleander comes out of its winter quarters, work mature compost and horn shavings shallowly into the substrate when repotting. During the growing and flowering season from April to the end of August, feed it regularly as a heavy feeder with organic nutrition, such as diluted nettle liquid feed. From September, stop feeding so the shoots can ripen before winter dormancy.
Overwintering
Bring the oleander into its winter quarters before the first lasting frost and put it somewhere bright and cool, at a few degrees above zero, such as an unheated conservatory, a bright stairwell or a bright garage. Water sparingly, but never let the soil dry out completely, and from April, once there is no risk of frost, slowly get it used to the outdoors again.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- From seed
- Division
- Layering
Cuttings are by far the most reliable method and work even without prior experience. Between May and August, cut non-flowering shoots 20 to 25 cm long directly below a leaf node, remove all lower leaves and either place them in a clear glass of soft water (a small piece of charcoal keeps the water fresh) or insert them directly into lean seed-sowing compost. Keep the cuttings warm and bright and avoid draughts. Once the roots are 1 to 2 cm long, pot them into normal container plant compost. Soft shoot tips root faster than already woody branches.
Sowing is possible but more laborious: collect the ripe, elongated seed pods, which ripen from July/August, soak the seeds in lukewarm water for a few hours and sow them on nutrient-poor substrate at 20 to 26 °C. Germination takes 4 to 8 weeks. Note that cultivars and hybrids do not come true to type from seed and that the plant only flowers from its third year.
Division suits large, perennial container plants: take out the root ball, divide it with a sharp, clean knife so that both halves keep enough shoots, and put them straight into fresh soil. Then cut back hard.
Layering works in spring or summer: bend a strong, low branch to the side, bury a small section of it in the substrate of a neighbouring pot and fix it there with a stone or a branch clip. Once the branch roots on its own, recognisable by new growth, separate it from the mother plant.
Safety note: all parts of the oleander are highly poisonous. Always wear gloves when cutting and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
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