Oleander - care and cultivation at home

Flowers

In open ground, oleander is a large ornamental shrub adorned with large inflorescences (available in a variety of colors). It thrives in warm climates. In areas with year-round hot weather, oleander shrubs are often found in gardens.

You can also achieve success and grow gorgeous flower bushes indoors, but the oleander's size and heat-loving nature require some care and cultivation considerations. Profuse blooms, as seen in the photo, can only be achieved with proper cultivation.

How to Grow and Care for Oleander

In nature, the shrub is well lit and ventilated, so similar conditions should be created for it in closed ground.

When the oleander spends most of the day in the shade, then:

its leaves will fade;
young leaves become smaller, flowers become more sparse, and will no longer resemble a round ball;
the distance between the leaves will increase;
young shoots look pale and helpless.

If oleander is kept in the shade for too long, it may stop blooming altogether. Therefore, it is recommended to move it outdoors in the summer. When temperatures remain around 20–25°C, the plant will easily acclimate to the fresh air and begin to develop rapidly.

However, the shrub shouldn't be planted in the ground, as this will cause a large number of new roots to form, which may be difficult to manage in the fall. However, if there's an open pond in the garden, it's best to bury the oleander pot right next to the water.

Moisture helps the leaves withstand the bright sun during the hottest periods. If there's no pond in the garden, a bucket of water placed next to the pot will help. Indoors, it's recommended to place the container on a tray filled with damp expanded clay or moss.

Important!

Oleander dislikes stagnant air, so it's important to frequently ventilate the room it's in. Care should be taken to prevent cold air from reaching the plant's leaves.

When growing oleander indoors, it's essential to mist it with warm water. With proper care and cultivation, its crown will remain clean, and the surrounding area will provide sufficient humidity for growth indoors. Flowering, as seen in the photo, can only be achieved by following all cultivation guidelines correctly.

How to place

For permanent placement, oleander is best placed on a south-facing surface. A room on the east side of an apartment or house would be slightly less suitable. Avoid placing the shrub in rooms with north- or west-facing windows, as this will not provide enough light for its growth.

During daylight hours, the leaves and flowers should be illuminated. Oleander tolerates direct sunlight and is not afraid of even scorching heat. Therefore, on hot days, you can move the plant to a balcony or glassed-in veranda. However, the room should be closed to avoid precipitation and drafts.

When the sunny days begin to wane, which happens in late autumn and continues until spring, the oleander flowers and leaves need additional lighting.

Young shoots in small pots can be placed on a windowsill, a special stand, or a shelf near the windows. Mature plants require larger pots placed on the floor. They should also be placed near sources of natural or artificial light.

Important!

The vapors emitted by oleander flowers can be harmful to allergy sufferers and those with particularly sensitive skin. Therefore, if your apartment has small rooms or many people share each room, it's best to avoid growing this shrub.

Those with their own dacha or garden are in luck, as they can keep this shrub there all summer long. When the outside temperature stays around 22–26˚C, it grows beautifully and produces beautiful blooms. There's no need to take it out of its pot and plant it outdoors; it's best to place it near water.

Temperature for oleander

Fresh air and warmth are the oleander's best friends. In summer, it thrives at temperatures of 22–25˚C, while in winter, temperatures should not drop below 5˚C. A consistently maintained temperature of, say, 20˚C is optimal.

The shrub doesn't respond well to rapid temperature changes. If it's expecting colder weather, prepare gradually, lowering the temperature by 1-2 degrees per day. The shrub can tolerate short periods of frost, but it won't survive the winter in the garden.

How to water

In spring and summer, and especially in hot weather, the plant requires ample watering. During this time, if properly cared for and grown, the oleander grows vigorously, and its stems and leaves evaporate moisture. To maintain the proper humidity level indoors, it is recommended to leave water in the tray.

It's best to water from below. Carefully ensure that the top soil doesn't dry out, especially on hot days. This will ensure the shrub blooms as shown in the photos below.

During cold weather, watering should be reduced. This allows the shrub to enter a dormant state and gather strength for abundant blooms in the spring. During this period, avoid overwatering the soil, as this can lead to root rot and the death of the plant.

Note!

It's recommended to loosen the soil after watering. This will allow air to reach the roots and promote better growth of the shrub.

Bathing and spraying

Since oleander thrives in moisture, it should be given regular watering. During particularly hot weather, you can transfer the plant to a bathtub or large basin of cool water and shower it. Cover the soil with plastic wrap, otherwise it will wash away, exposing the root system.

Another measure to maintain humidity is misting with cool water. This is especially important when heating systems are running at full blast, drying out the air.

Is fertilizing necessary?

When an oleander is first planted or repotted, it draws nutrients from the fresh soil and doesn't require fertilizing for the next six to eight weeks. After this time, especially if the blooms begin to swell, it's recommended to fertilize the plant regularly, at least twice a week. Use a special mineral fertilizer for profusely blooming houseplants.

Pruning

To ensure the shrub takes on the shape of a tree with a strong crown, it's necessary to prune excess shoots at the roots. Otherwise, it will take on a wild-looking appearance.

Long stems also need to be pruned, as when they reach two meters in length, the lower leaves weaken and fall off. The shrub's crown should be shaped to its desired form in the fall, after the abundant flowering has ended.

Methods of reproduction

There are several ways to propagate oleander at home.

Propagation by cuttings

When a bush is pruned to shape its crown, extra shoots will always be found, those that stick out from the desired crown or grow at the roots.

Once pruned, these stems can be used to propagate the shrub. Suitable young cuttings should have several leaves and a growing point; their optimal length is about 15 cm.

The planted shoots will quickly take root and grow rapidly. Within a year, next fall, you can begin shaping the crown of the future, beautiful shrub.

Propagation by air layering

This method requires more effort, but the result is a profusely blooming young oleander plant you can grow indoors. The propagation process (to ensure the shrub blooms as pictured), subsequent care, and cultivation involve several steps:

First you need to select a young shoot.
At a distance of 10-15 cm from the edge, it is necessary to make circular cuts on the bark.
Place damp sand in a bag and wrap it around the exposed area. The sand should completely cover the cut area and adhere tightly to maintain moisture.

For this purpose, you can use peat moss – sphagnum – instead of sand.

The first roots will appear within a month. Once the root system has strengthened, the future oleander is cut from the mother stem and planted in a separate pot. It is recommended to sprinkle the cut area with ash or crushed charcoal.

What diseases does oleander have?

Oleander has few diseases, but they do exist:

When leaf tips become thin and dry, it means the plant is lacking moisture. To prevent the situation from worsening, adjust watering and carefully monitor soil moisture. During hot weather, add water to the tray. Place containers filled with water near the plant to help evaporate the liquid. Dry indoor air can be addressed with a mister.
Yellowing leaves indicate either the wrong fertilizer mix or overwatering. To solve this problem, refresh the potting soil and monitor its moisture levels.
The appearance of black spots on leaves indicates a fungal disease. It slows down photosynthesis and weakens the plant.

When the shrub doesn't get enough light, it begins to shed its lower leaves. In summer, you can place the plant pot closer to a source of natural light, ideally on a balcony or veranda. In winter, you can extend the oleander's daylight hours with fluorescent lights.
Drafts or hypothermia can cause massive leaf drop. The plant's pot should be moved to a warmer location immediately. When airing out the room, it's best to temporarily remove the oleander from the room. If the shrub is on a balcony, monitor the temperature and bring it indoors on cold nights. Another cause of leaf loss can be a lack of light. In the dark, photosynthesis stops, and the plant doesn't thrive.

Beautiful flower heads create a light, summery atmosphere in your home year-round. In the fall and spring, contemplating the greenery and flowers can help combat the blues. By understanding this shrub's whims and preventing their consequences, you can enjoy a luxurious, profuse bloom at home for a long time. Oleander care is easy. Growing the plant is simple, and if done correctly, the shrub will bloom as pictured.