Content
- Is your oleander frozen? So you can save him
- Maintain oleander with frost damage properly
- There is no hope for frozen roots
- Protect oleander effectively from frost
- Tips
If only the leaves have frozen, there is still a chance to save the oleander
Is your oleander frozen? So you can save him
In the Mediterranean, the home of the oleander (Nerium oleander), it is very hot in the summer, while the winters stay mild - low temperatures like ours, maybe even snow and ice are sought in the south of Italy or Spain in vain. The oleander is perfectly adapted to this climate, which is why the popular ornamental shrub only tolerates a maximum of minus five degrees Celsius over a very short period of time.
Maintain oleander with frost damage properly
Therefore, it is not surprising that overwintered oleander often wears frost damage. The frozen shoots look brown and dry out, so you should shorten them vigorously with a clean and sharp pruning shears. If the whole bush is frozen to the ground, you can cut it back to just above the ground and hope that it will sprout out again in the spring. When cutting back, keep in mind that oleander always drifts out of the shoot tip. So do not leave long and bare stems standing, but shorten them better. In addition, you should always ensure that the roots of the oleander always have it nice and warm.
There is no hope for frozen roots
As long as the roots of the plant have not been frosted, there is always hope for the flowering shrub. With intact roots, the oleander is able to regenerate and sprout new shoots again and again. However, as soon as the roots are frozen, there is no hope anymore - in this case, the shrub has been irrevocably dead and should be disposed of.
Protect oleander effectively from frost
You can achieve this by primarily packing the planter neatly with warming material and, if possible, placing the oleander on a wall in a protective corner (for example, under a roof projection or similar). In mild winters, you can also dig the shrub into the garden (of course in the planter!). However, it is important to keep an eye on the temperatures and weather forecasts: ground frost is the death sentence for the roots and thus for the entire shrub. It's best anyway, you overwinter the plant at about five degrees Celsius in a bright and frost-free room.
Tips
Once you have cut back the frozen oleander, you should fertilize it vigorously in the spring. For the new shoot the plant needs many nutrients.