Should you cut off the oleander flowers and seed capsules in late summer or leave them alone? Correct handling of spent flowers and follicles is very important for next year's flowering period.
Oleander has faded, what now? The right care in late summer
The flowering period for oleanders begins in June and, if the weather is good, ends at the end of August when only the flowers are left on the bush. Then you wonder whether the wilted flowers should be removed. Ultimately, this promotes the formation of flowers in other plants and initially stops seed production.
Caution! Oleander is poisonous in all parts of the plant. Handle the plant only with gardening gloves and wear a protective mask and glasses. Only touch your eyes with clean hands and never with gardening gloves. Small children and pets should not play around the tree and must only be in the garden under supervision. Otherwise there is a risk of poisoning.
Do not cut off the oleander flowers, let them fall off
However, cleaning out can do more harm than good to the exotic. Firstly, because it has already formed new flower buds on its old shoot tips. If you cut off the wilted ones, you also remove the new flower buds. At the end of August, the oleander has neither time nor strength to form new flower buds and there will be no flowers next year.
Secondly, because such a cut is not necessary anyway. The withered flowers fall off on their own.
However, there are exceptions: For example, if the oleander suffers from a bacterial or fungal disease. In this case, it is recommended to remove and discard the flower buds.
Remove oleander seed capsules or leave them alone?
After the end of the flowering period, however, the next phase takes place - namely seed formation. However, every experienced hobby gardener wants to avoid this phase. There are several reasons why seed production is bad for the plant.
1. The oleander puts its energy into seed formation, is weakened enormously during this time and often falls victim to pests and diseases.
2. Flower production decreases significantly during this phase. Because the weather was rainy in August, the oleander barely managed to produce new flowers. Even when the seed capsules are ripening, it does not produce any flowers. In the worst case, the flowering period will be canceled next year.
3. The seed pods can only ripen in warm weather and sun. However, if the weather is changeable in August and the temperatures often fall below 20 degrees, then the seed capsules cannot ripen. To promote the ripening process, you can provide the plant with potassium fertilizer. The right time for this is mid to late August.
4. Cut off all unripe seed capsules at the latest shortly before the first frost (around the end of September to the beginning of October, depending on the region).
5. If you have pets or children, we also recommend that you cut off the seed pods.
6. In one case, however, it is worth not cutting off the seed capsules - namely if youplant want to propagate. Seed collection is fairly straightforward.
How to harvest seeds correctlyfind out here.
Basically, if you want to propagate the oleander from seeds, you can leave several fruit sets. Cut off the rest so that the plant does not waste its strength in vain.
If you want to encourage flowering in the oleander, leave all dried flowers and remove all seed capsules.
The exotic is then cut back heavily in the spring. All shoots are shortened, with really old branches and old flower buds being completely removed. In addition, all diseased and inwardly or upwardly growing shoots are removed. The goal is for all branches to receive sunlight.
How do you cut off the seed pods and flowers?
Individual flowers or complete inflorescences can be cut off with sharp secateurs. Always wear shirts with long sleeves, it is best not to use a knife - it will crush the stems and the cut will heal more slowly.
If you want to cut off the seed pods, you will also need disinfected and sharp secateurs. Cut them off along with the stem.
Cutting oleander flowers and seed capsules: the most important things summarized
When the oleander flowers in August, you do not need to cut off the flowers. They will dry up and fall off. However, you should remove the flower capsules weekly, otherwise the plant will put all its energy into producing seeds. A heavy pruning will not take place until next spring. Until then, you just have to wait and slowly adjust the fertilizer application. After the flowering period ends, the shrub needs fewer nutrients.
Also read:Cutting the oleander after overwintering for beginners
