The Oleander brings to the garden a Mediterranean touch that we appreciate a lot when we live in a region with sometimes very sad weather. This splendid shrub with abundant flowering, with single or double flowers, comes in different colors. It offers us its magnificence throughout the summer and punctuates the garden, terrace or balcony with very green notes in winter thanks to its evergreen and shiny foliage. Let’s see together where, when and how to plant an oleander, how to maintain it so that it thrives as well as possible and what is the best solution for multiply its oleanders from cuttings.
Plant an Oleander
It is essential that the planting of an oleander is carried out in the best possible conditions because its rooting but also its growth depend on it. This beautiful flowering shrub is not very hardy. So you have to install it:
- In an area of the garden sunny et hot,
- To sheltered from prevailing winds,
- In soil capable of suiting it, namely well drained et riche even if it is a ordinary earth with which this shrub is quite capable of satisfying itself.
You can plant an oleander in autumn only in the southern regions, or else in spring elsewhere as soon as all risk of frost has passed. Note that it also likes the regions of the Atlantic coast because it resist without blinking in the spray.
To put in the ground is especially possible where frosts are of low intensity and short duration. In a harsh climate, it is better to grow your oleander in a large pot that can easily be stored under cover from November to March or April.
Here is the good one method pour plant an oleander in the ground.
- Dig a hole about 2.5 times wider than the root ball,
- Loosen the soil thus recovered by crumbling it then remove the stones, roots and other plant residues as well as weeds,
- Add to this topsoil an organic amendment as well as compost for flowering shrubs and a shovelful of sand if the soil becomes too compact as soon as it is wet because the soil must be draining,
- Mix this mixture well and place part of it at the bottom of the hole,
- Rehydrate the roots of the young oleander by immersing the container in a washing machine filled with water,
- After a good hour, take the root ball out of the container and gently separate the roots that are tangled,
- Install the foot in the center of the hole and spread the roots without bruising them,
- Fill in the planting hole with the rest of the amended soil,
- Press down well with your foot,
- Water very abundantly.
For a growing oleander in pots, the substrate should be potting soil for flowering shrubs mixed with good garden soil. Of course, we choose a container with a pierced bottom, large enough, about 50 cm deep and 40 cm in diameter, so that the plug shrub does not feel too cramped. We recommend placing at the bottom of the pot a drainage layer because the roots should not be immersed in water.
Caring for an Oleander
In addition to the size of the oleander, this shrub deserves that we take care of it from time to time all the same, although it does not pose any particular problem. Thus, during the first year following its planting, especially if it took place in the spring, it is necessary to pay attention to the waterings which must be quite copious, whether the shrub is grown in the ground or in a pot. It is essential to promote its rooting and then its growth. If it is sorely lacking in water, it will vegetate and its flowering will be poor.
The Oleander in tray needs even more attention because the soil dries faster and becomes impoverished quite quickly. In addition to frequent watering, we give it a fertilizer for flowering plants or shrubs every two weeks from June then throughout the flowering period.
As soon as the risk of frost appears, it is essential to bring in your oleander pots so that they spend a few months in light and cool but in any case sheltered from negative temperatures.
The pods containing the seeds are to be removed as soon as they appear because they exhaust the foot unnecessarily.
Multiply your oleanders
Anyone can try to sow the seeds of his oleander but the expected results do not always live up to expectations.
Better take cuttings between June and August – that is to say, very vigorous but non-flowering young stems whose wood is still soft – to multiply its oleanders. The branches are then placed in a bottle of water or in a vase to force the appearance of roots, then the new shrubs are planted in compost. It remains to provide them with the necessary care so that they develop, then flower after two or three years.
You will have to think about repot each new plant after 4 years, when it is really cramped in its container that has become too small. But it is also possible to plant the rooted cuttings in the ground if the climatic conditions allow it.
The Oleander can be used alone, as an avenue tree, in a group or as a hedge. Its bushy shape makes it a privacy screen very valuable when you want to protect yourself from prying eyes in all seasons. It is also an effective and decorative windbreak. In fact, the Oleander only has qualities… or almost. It should indeed be noted that all the parts that compose it are toxic. We therefore wash our hands well after planting, repotting or pruning it and we inform the children that it must not be confused with the laurel sauce!