The author of the text is Dr. Regina Dębicz
Common Oleander Nerium oleander as an ornamental plant has been known for over 2000 years.A peaceful plant, in the common sense of the word, however, it is not, because in winter it requires much cooler rooms than those we live in.Oleanders enjoy a lot of interest; They are perfect for decorating terraces, verandas, conservatories and summer gardens, and young specimens also for sunny apartments.
The homeland of the common oleander is the Mediterranean region. In its natural state, it is a shrub or tree, reaching a height of 2-5 m. The plants we grow are equally impressive (2-3 m) and they are also in the form of a bush or a tree. Leathery, dark green, shimmering lanceolate leaves are of great decorative value.
Most of us, however, are delighted with oleander flowers, which develop on the tops of the shoots and smell nice. They are 3-6 cm in diameter, pink, white, salmon, yellow and red in color.Varieties with single flowers as well as full flowers, slightly reminiscent of roses, are very popular.
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Common oleander flowers and leaves are a symbol of Mediterranean flora (Image: Adobe Stock) |
Flowering and seasonal care
Plants bloom profusely and long from June to autumn. Is it always? Yes, as long as the conditions for their cultivation are met.Oleanders should be kept in the sunniest and warmest possible place from early spring to autumn, e.g. in front of a bright south wall of the building on a terrace, large balcony, in front of the house or in a warm corner of the garden.Plants can tolerate even very dry air, but from spring to autumn they require plentiful watering with lukewarm water at 25-30ºC.
The pot (or other oleander container) should be placed on a large, deep rack so that you can pour water into it every day on hot and sunny days.Oleanders like to have "wet feet" because in nature they grow along the sunny banks of streams and rivers.They do not like rain, humid air and sprinkling.
Watering should be gradually reduced from mid-August, thus letting the shoots lignified. We don't have to rush to bring the oleanders home, as the plants can withstand frosts down to -5ºC. However, it will be safer when they return to the rooms before the frosts.
In winter, they need to be provided with a bright and cool room with a temperature of 2-8ºC (after all, it may not be a completely dark cellar), because they bloom less when standing in a warm apartment.During this period, we check the root ball from time to time.If necessary, water it with lukewarm water. In spring, sometimes at the beginning of April, you have to put the plants outside again (the shorter the wintering period, the better for oleanders).
Substrate and fertilization
Oleanders grow well in clay soil, containing calcium, mixed with compost, peat and sand.From the beginning of growth until mid-August, it is advisable to fertilize with a multi-component liquid fertilizer for flowering plants on a weekly basis.Then, until October, the feed must be less frequent to give the plants lignified shoots. In the past, oleanders were fertilized with liquid manure, and a lot of chicken eggshells were added to the soil, so that the plants had the right amount of nutrients and calcium.
Reproduction
Oleandra is propagated by apical shoot cuttings with a few leaves in spring or early summer.They root quite easily both in water and in a mixture of peat and sand after 2-4 weeks and even thereafter in the same year they can bloom.Growers of this plant should remember that all parts of it are poisonous.
Beauty treatments
When to overdo it? Only when the roots grow over the soil in the pot, and preferably in spring. Young specimens are transplanted every 2-3 years, the older ones every 3-4 years, but every year it is worth replacing the top layer of the substrate in the pot. When transplanting, we loosen the root strands and shorten the too long and old ones.
Do oleander shoots need to be pruned before winter? Not. Neither freshly produced flower shoots nor pruning faded ones should be removed.You can only cut out stems that grow out of harmony, too old or too large, thus rejuvenating the plant. Young oleanders should be pruned in spring. Although this treatment delays flowering, it causes a nice branching and then more abundant flowering.
