Oleanders are very dangerous.When handled with care, these plants are lovely, vibrant, and sturdy additions to your garden.Oleanders only require minimal care once they're in the ground, and are usually grown from established transplants.
Step 1: In a warm climate, grow oleanders.
Oleander plants thrive in climates that remain above freezing year-round, despite occasionally dipping below the freezing point.You may not be able to grow an Oleander bush outdoors in harsh winters.Oleanders can tolerate temperatures as low as 15 degrees.The foliage will be damaged at that point.Even if the top of a plant is damaged, it can still grow back as long as the roots are undamaged.Oleanders can be planted in a heated greenhouse or in containers.The root ball of the bush must be at least two to three times as deep as the container you plan on keeping.If you keep the container outside, take it inside during the winter.
Step 2: The spring or fall is what you should choose.
You can plant a bush in the spring or fall.Do not wait until summer or winter.The best time to plant an Oleander is in August or September.The bloom period might be shortened if you plant the bush later.During its first year, oleanders may not produce many blossoms, but the foliage should remain healthy and new blooms should appear during the following growth season.
Step 3: It is a sunny location.
Oleander varieties can tolerate light shade and thrive in full sunlight.If you want to get the best results, look for an area in your garden that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight a day.Oleanders grow in partial shade and tend to be open in shape.In hot, dry climates, a location that receives partial shade may be better than one that gets full sun.Oleander bushes are good to use as "walls" against wind and can protect more sensitive plants, but damage caused during severe winds can ruin open blossoms and closed buds for the season.
Step 4: Compost can be used to amend the soil.
If you want to improve the quality of spent soil, you should mix a few handfuls of compost into the top 1 foot of the soil.Well-drained soil is the best for Oleanders.These plants can survive in both dry and marshy soils.It's not often that soil content makes a difference.Oleanders can survive in soils with high salt content and high pH readings.If you want to increase the soil's ability to hold water, you could add peat moss.
Step 5: You can choose a plant with good health.
You can transplant a mature oleander bush.It should have branches and leaves.The plant should be dense.Plants labeled "double white," "single red," and so on should be avoided.Choose plants that specifically name the variety being offered.Make sure to inspect the plant before buying it.Make sure there are no bugs.There are plants that are not "pot bound".The growing media should not see the root systems.
Step 6: A large hole is needed to dig.
The hole should be two to three times wider than the root ball.The base of the main stem can remain underground if the plant is buried too deeply.It is difficult to fill a hole with enough soil if the hole is too wide.
Step 7: Transfer into the ground.
Place the container on its side.Carefully lifting out the entire plant, root and all with your other hand, apply pressure to the sides of the container.Set the plant upright in the center of the hole you dug.Carefully cut any string or material surrounding the root before placing it in the hole.As you free the football or transplant the bush, avoid damaging the root.
Step 8: The hole needs to be filled in half.
Half of the space around the root ball should be filled with garden soil.Carefully backfill the hole.If you put it in the hole with your hands, it could cause damage to the root system.
Step 9: There is water in this well.
The soil will sink further into the hole if you add enough water to the soil.Wait a few moments after applying the water.You have to allow it to remove the air pockets and settle the soil.
Step 10: The rest of the hole should be filled.
Add more garden soil to the rest of the empty space.Rather than packing the soil in with your hands, backfill it in a loose fashion.
Step 11: Don't let the water get in your way.
Apply more water.The soil should be thoroughly damp if you add enough water.Wait a few minutes and watch the water.It should leave no puddles when it sinks into the soil.The top of the soil is still damp.
Step 12: There is plenty of space between the plants.
If you are planting multiple oleander bushes, you should divide them into 6 to 12 feet apart.Follow the same instructions for how large to make the hole and how to fill it.
Step 13: There is water in the summer.
Oleanders need 1 inch of water per week.During a dry summer, you should water the plants, even if you don't need to.Oleanders thrive when they receive occasional deep watering.The plant is getting too much water if the leaves start to yellow.Allow the Oleander to remain dry for a longer period of time if you remove any leaves that have yellowed.
Step 14: Apply compost in the spring.
Compost can be spread from the base of the main stem to the space under the outermost branches to fertilize the Oleander.If the soil is deficient in certain minerals, you can only use a mild fertilization in the spring if you do it within the first few years.After the plant is established, switch to a light compost.
Step 15: mulch
Each spring, apply a layer of mulch.Remove this layer and replace it with a 2-inch (5- cm) layer in the late fall.In the spring, mulch is added to protect the plant from weeds.Adding mulch in the fall protects the plant against cold weather.Wood chips or grass clippings can be used as mulch.
Step 16: It's a good idea to Prune after the bloom period.
Cut off a flower cluster when it dies to encourage a longer bloom period.Stem tips should be cut after flowers are spent to encourage better branching.Do not wait until the fall to do this.It takes several weeks for new growth to grow.
Step 17: In the spring, do a lot ofPruning.
In the summer, oleanders bloom on new growth, so it is best to do most of your heavy pruning in the early spring before the plant enters its active growing period.You have to remove wood that has been damaged.Also remove wood that is intertwined.During the spring, you should remove suckers from the bottom of the plant since they can drain the resources and reduce the flowering ability.Cut the plant back to a place on the stem that you want it to be.There are three leaves that come out of the branch.You will get three new branches when the plant grows back, if you make the cut here.Pruning more than one-third of the plant is not advisable.Oleanders can recover if you peck more.Oleanders grow by another 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 cm) per year.Oleanders can grow as wide as they are tall if left unattended.Some plants can reach 20 feet.Dwarf varieties are usually between 3 and 5 feet tall.
Step 18: There are possible pest and disease problems that you should be aware of.
Oleanders are not completely immune to pests and diseases.Don't treat the plant until you find a problem.The most common disease faced by the oleander plant is botryosphaeria dieback, and it is most likely to happen if the plant has undergone stress from a drought or freeze.The shoots and branches will become dark brown.Take the branches away from the rest of the garden.The most common pest is the Oleander caterpillar.They can destroy young shoots.The pests are about 5 cm long and have orange-red bodies and black tufts of hair.As soon as you see a caterpillar on your plant, apply a pesticide.Scales, aphids, and mealybugs are rare.As needed, apply an appropriate pesticide.