There are certainly Mediterranean plant species that can survive the cold winter outside, or at least a mild winter. So how should you overwinter the oleander? And does it actually have to be cut back first?
The oleander is a plant that has a certain potential, but not enough to say that it would definitely survive the winter outdoors. It must be protected in any case, but from how many degrees and how exactly?
Are there varieties that survive the winter?
Up to how many degreesan oleander hardy? The usual varieties (e.g. 'Nerium') are not very frost hardy, although it has to be said that their resistance to temperatures down to minus 5 degrees is quite impressive considering their origins. However, it should be said that they can only survive subzero temperatures occasionally and for short periods of time, not for a whole periodWinterfor example. However, other varieties can also survive temperatures down to minus 10 degrees and can, if necessary, overwinter outdoors. This includes:
- ‘Villa Romaine’
- ‘Atlas’
- ‘Italia’
- 'Rider'
However, since the temperatures in our latitudes can drop lower, we recommend that you overwinter your plants properly in winter quarters.
Overwinter, cut and care for oleanders
Before wintering even begins, proper preparation is important. Later you should take appropriate care of your oleander in the pot. What is important?
Do you have to prune the oleander before winter hits?
The oleander should definitely be cut if you have onewant bushy and compact growth. Otherwise it will grow upwards and the shoots will become bare at the bottom. Spring is the best time for this. Since autumn is also suitable, many people choose this time because the plant takes up less space in winter. And as the experts at OBI confirm, autumn pruning also has the advantage that the plant is less susceptible to annoying scale insects.
How to cut the oleander in autumn according to the experts:
- Be sure to wear gloves because all parts of the plant are poisonous.
- You are allowed to cut back, but a radical cut is always avoided.
- Take a closer look at the shoots and look for the first bud (counting from the top of the shoot).
- Place the scissors directly above this bud. This is important because otherwise the plant will not bloom on this shoot next season.
- Thin the plant if necessary. This means removing branches that are crossing and interfering with each other.
- Remove diseased or dead shoots.
In any case, you should not shorten still living shoots by more than a third when pruning in autumn. Of course, dead plant parts can (and should) be completely removed.
The cut can be stronger if you use itPrune oleander after winter.
How you can use the cut shoots as cuttings for propagation,find out here.
Overwintering oleanders – This is what the winter quarters should look like
The purpose of winter quarters is to imitate the climate of a plant's country of origin. After the oleander was able to enjoy the sun outside in the summer, it now also needs the optimal winter conditions.
When should the plant go into the warm?
In autumn, as soon as the temperatures stay below 5 degrees, the right time has come. Since the winter weather has become quite mild in recent years, it may well be that moving into winter quarters will not be necessary until the beginning of winter. Just follow the weather forecast. The general rule is that the plant should remain outdoors for as long as possible.
What conditions should the winter quarters offer?
- Absolutely notYou should overwinter the oleander in a dark place. The Mediterranean plant requires a bright location. So if you wanted to overwinter oleander in the dark basement, that's not a good idea.
- The right temperatures are also important when you overwinter the oleander in the pot so that the oleander can go into hibernation. Ideally, these are always between 0 and 10 degrees.
- As long as these conditions are met, you can overwinter the oleander in the garage, garage, basement or even in the greenhouse.
- Overwintering the oleander in the apartment is not an optimal solution because the living room, bedroom, etc. are simply too warm. However, if you have no other option, this is of course better than letting him freeze to death outside. In this case, it is particularly important to leave it outside on the balcony, terrace or garden for as long as possible and to put it out again as quickly as possible.
If you leave oleander outside
- The frost-resistant varieties can stay outside. However, we recommend at least winter protection.
- Place the pot on a Styrofoam plate to insulate it from below.
- Wrap the pot with bubble wrap.
- Cover the shoots with a special fleece that allows light to shine through and does not darken them in any way.
How to care for the oleander in winter
- Water once a week because thePlant must not dry out.
- The plant does not need fertilizer at all during the rest phase.
- Inspect the oleander regularly for pests so that you can act as quickly as possible.
When can you put the oleander outside again?
This mainly depends on whether he spent the winter in a warm or cool place.
- Container plants that have been overwintered in a cool place are less sensitive to the cold outdoors. Put them outside as early as April. If frost is expected from time to time during the night, you don't need to worry. They are tough enough to survive.
- If the plant comes from a warm winter quarter, it is more susceptible to frost damage. Therefore, in this case, be sure to wait until after the Ice Saints and gradually get them used to the sunny location. If the oleander immediately receives full sun, the leaves will burn. Whether your plant is frozen,you can recognize it.
Also read:Cutting the oleander after overwintering for beginners
