If you've ever had an oleander in your garden, you know how hardy and easy to care for these plants are. With their beautiful blooms in colors ranging from soft yellow to deep red that light up summer and fall, it's no wonder they're so popular. But even though they can thrive in the most difficult soils, the question arises: do you really need to fertilize them, and if so, can you use blue seed?
Oleander: A plant that can do (almost) anything
Oleanders are really tough. Whether in sandy, clay or even salty soils - these plants grow practically everywhere. They even defy drought once they are well rooted. And honestly, that's one of the reasons gardeners love them so much! But precisely because they are so robust, the question arises: Is fertilizing with blue grain necessary or even harmful?
What is blue grain anyway?
Blue grain is a popular fertilizer that contains many nutrients that plants normally need - especially nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). The particular blend of blue grain we're talking about here has a ratio of 12-12-17. That sounds good at first, but does it also work for the oleander?
The right fertilization for oleanders
For oleander, a balanced ratio such as 10-10-10 or 10-6-4 is optimal. These mixtures give plants just the right amount of nutrients to grow healthily and bloom profusely. The mixture of Blaukorn, with its higher proportion of potassium, is more suitable for plants that need a lot of fruit production -such as tomatoes.
Funnily enough, oleander is a plant that often suffers from too much care rather than too little. Many gardeners believe that more fertilizer equals more blooms, but in reality the opposite can be true. Too much fertilizer, especially too much phosphorus and potassium, can burn the oleander's roots and weaken the plant.
When should you really fertilize oleander?
If your oleander looks pale,Loses leaves, grows little or doesn't produce as many flowers as you would like, a small amount of fertilizer might make sense. In such cases, it is enough to sprinkle half a cup (about 120 g) of a 10-10-10 fertilizer around the plant in spring and fall.
If you keep your oleander in a pot, more frequent fertilization is necessary as nutrients are washed out of the soil more quickly. In this case, you should apply 45-60 g (3 to 4 tablespoons) of a 10-10-10 granular fertilizer every four to six weeks.
But, and this is a big but: If your oleander already looks happy and healthy, you shouldn't give it unnecessary extras. It will thank you with strong growth and lots of flowers - without the help of blue corn.
Would you like to learn more about caring for oleander?
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