Oleander frozen? Read below how you can recognize frost damage and save the plant!
Is oleander damaged by cold?
The leaf and flower buds of the oleander are extremely sensitive if they receive even a small layer of frost. In severe frost, the plants can die down to the ground. Oleanders that die to the ground typically do not die back to the roots, depending on their hardiness. Even if you cut off the unsightly, dead branches, the bushes will likely sprout again from their roots in the spring. After the plants begin to warm up in late winter, oleanders are most often affected by cold snaps in the spring. Due to this abrupt change in weather, oleander plants may not bloom in summer.
Important tip:Oleander (Nerium oleander) is not very hardy, so it is very rare to grow it outdoors in some parts of Germany. The oleander plant is very popular, suitable and widespread as a potted plant for the garden, balcony or terrace.
Follow these winter care tips:
- After late autumn, you should no longer prune the shrub heavily: you should have completed any severe pruning by the beginning of October.
- Even if the amount and frequency of watering should be reduced in winter, you should still water this evergreen plant: If you want to water your plant in winter, we recommend that you use lukewarm water and reduce doses between the first and last frost .
Also interesting:Olive tree in sub-zero temperatures: With these care tips it can easily tolerate frost in winter!
Oleander frozen: recognizing frost damage
If the shoots are brown and dry, this is a sign of frost damage. Moving the oleander to a frost-free location is the first step to avoid frost damage.Sea Utopia.deIt is particularly important to warm up the roots again. You can expect the oleander to recover within a week. Then check for frost damage.
Looking behind the oleander's bark is a good way to assess its health. To do this, find a few areas that do not appear to be frozen and scrape off the bark with a sharp knife. Then take a look at the fabric:
- If the tissue is green: Only the leaves and some branches of a woody plant have died, the rest of the plant is still alive.
- If the tissue is brown: The brown branch is permanently frozen.
- If you have found green tissue, wait for new growth in spring,before cutting them back.
- Cut the obviously dead branches back to healthy wood as soon as new shoots sprout.
- Inspect the oleander's roots after removing it from the pot. Cut back the browned roots with sharp secateurs.
- Before you repot the oleander, create a drainage layer and fill the pot with soil. Finally, water the shrub heavily.
- To speed up the development of new, healthy shoots, fertilize the oleander after a week,reports Focus.de.
Avoid frost damage
- Mulch
Before frost, cover the main trunk with 8 - 10 cm of mulch, leaving about 2 cm of space all around: use mulch made from straw, hay and leaves. After the last frost, remove the mulch.
- Protect the shrub outdoors
During heavy rain, sleet or snow, ice water can accumulate in the soil, which is harmful to the oleander. To protect the root system during such storms, cover the ground with fleece. Once the water has drained and the weather no longer poses a threat to your oleander, you can remove the plastic wrap.
You can use a jute sack or even an old blanket to protect your oleander plant from the cold. This is especially important if your plant is not yet fully grown or established.
Also read:How to save a frozen rhododendron? Tips on how to recognize and avoid frost damage
Cover image: Grossinger/Shutterstock
