Content
- Help, Oleander leaves curl up! What to do?
- Check oleander for possible pests
- When the leaves curl, the oleander is often too cold
- Tips
Oleanders are very popular with pests
Help, Oleander leaves curl up! What to do?
Usually the leaves of the oleander are lanceolate-long and rich green. As with other plants, oleander leaves are a good indicator of whether the bush is doing well or not: Discoloration, but also curling are typical signs that the plant is just sick or anything you do not like.
Check oleander for possible pests
First of all, the curling of the leaves can be an indication that the plant is trying to protect itself from pest infestation. There are many insect pests that prefer to colonize oleanders and feel extremely well there. Spider mites in particular have a pronounced preference for the Mediterranean shrub, which is why you should regularly check this for infestation. Spider mites (and other pests such as aphids) belong to the leaf-sucking insects and preferably sit on the underside of the leaf. Their sucking action can cause the oleander to curl up its leaves.
When the leaves curl, the oleander is often too cold
However, much more often scrolling leaves indicate that the oleander is uncomfortable at its location - possibly due to drafts or because the Mediterranean plant is simply too cold. Is it quite sunny and warm during the day, but does it become noticeably cooler at night with temperatures below 18 ° C? Then the roots of the oleander freeze and are unable to provide enough moisture in the leaves - which in turn have a high rate of evaporation in the sun and thus suffer from water shortage. In such a situation you have the following options for action:
Alternatively, you can of course bring the oleander into the house overnight. In the case of cooling drafts, however, only a change of location helps. This should be sunny, warm and above all protected!
Tips
The only problem is that spider mites also love warm and sheltered locations - and especially like to infest oleander. Check at least once a week for a possible infestation and take timely countermeasures.