Pruning oleander bushes is not necessary for health, but it keeps the bush tidy and controls growth. Timing to prune and how best to prune a plant are important considerations when pruning becomes necessary. When and how you should prune oleander, read on!
When to cut back oleander
To maintain the vitality of your oleander, you should prune it at the right time. Since oleanders have a very short flowering period, the best time to prune is immediately after flowering. For varieties that bloom well into autumn, pruning by mid-September is essential.
Pruning shrubs is easier with the right tools. Hand pruners and pruning shears are usually sufficient to prune the bushes. Make sure your tools are in good condition and sharp. Wipe them with a clean rag, soak them in a solution of one part bleach to three parts water for five minutes, then rinse with clean water. This way you can reduce the spread of pathogens.
Regular thinning and possible training cuts should be carried out in late winter/spring. Choose an early date so that the oleander can start the growing season freshly pruned.Cutshoots that are too long back to the next shoot instead of just shortening the tips of all shoots. Because buds grow at the tips, which will later develop into flowers. Individual unwanted shoots can also be cut off in this way in summer. This way you can encourage growth in the crown and prevent the plant from becoming too large. Leave the fruits that appear after flowering as these will develop into next year's buds.
How to prune your shrub
Pruning oleander is not difficult, but it does require some planning. Step back from your shrub and create a pruning plan in your head. Write down the desired shape you want to achieve and get an idea of how much you need to cut away. When pruning oleander bushes annually, you must first look for dead or damaged branches. Remove these branches at the ground or where they connect to a healthy branch.
As a rule, no more than a third of the entire bush should be removed. Cut branches just above a leaf node. This encourages new growth. Acontinuous pruningThis will ensure that your oleander grows bushy rather than tall and lanky. Every two or three years you can prune your shrub for renewal. This means that you shorten the oleander by more than a third and cut it back heavily. After pruning, rake up any residue and dispose of it.
Pruning an overgrown oleander
The good news is that you can perform oleander rejuvenation pruning to bring old, overgrown plants back into shape. You need to assess the health of the shrub and determine whether it can tolerate a radical pruning all at once in late winter. The problem with a one-time drastic pruning is that it can lead to excessive leaf growth. If the plant is in poor health, its vigor may be reduced and a very weak plant may even die.
If you are considering severely cutting back an overgrown oleander, it may be better to do so gradually over several years. If you are rejuvenating overgrown shrubs over three years, do about a third of the required thinning each year. In general, you should maintain a shrub's natural shape when youstart pruning, even if you prune an overgrown oleander.
The natural form – a tuft-like form – is almost always more attractive in oleander hedges and umbrellas. In the first year, cut a third of all mature stems back to the ground. The second year you rejuvenate the oleander, cut half of the remaining mature stems back to the ground and shorten the long shoots left over from the previous year's growth. In the third year, cut back the remaining older trunks to a few centimeters (8 cm) and further shorten the new shoots.
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