Content
- Can oleander be winterized?
- Oleander is only partially hardy
- Winterfest is not enough
- Give in late, clear out early
- Tips
Oleander should be brought into the house before the first frost
Can oleander be winterized?
The oleander, which is also known as rose laurel, is a typical Mediterranean plant that enjoys its magnificent flowers during the summer months. However, the plant in our latitudes is not necessarily easy to cultivate, because oleander is not hardy.
Oleander is only partially hardy
The flowering shrub is only partially hardy, d. H. it tolerates a maximum of (and only for a short time) to at most minus five degrees Celsius. However, even this low temperature can cause the oleander freezes - just a single night with slightly frosty temperatures is enough. For this reason, the plant should overwinter as far as possible under cold conditions, ergo cool (but frost-free) at about five degrees Celsius and bright.If necessary, the bush survives the winter but with little or even no light - for example, in the basement or in a garage.
Winterfest is not enough
Unfortunately, packing oleander winter-proof and leaving it outside is not enough. In mild winters, you could succeed with this strategy, but a single frosty night destroys all efforts. Always keep an eye on the weather forecasts and, if in doubt, prefer the oleander to your winter quarters. Until then, however, he can stay outdoors, packed as warm as possible. Place the pot on a thick Styrofoam or wooden base and wrap it with bubble wrap. The shrub itself is packed in gardening fleece. Alternatively, lower the pot in the ground and pile up the oleander like a rose.
Give in late, clear out early
Basically, Oleander should be evacuated as late as possible to winter quarters and brought back as early as possible to the outdoors. In this way, the plant survives the hibernation better, because most plants look pretty battered after the winter break and take a while until they have recovered. A pruning is then often inevitable, which can be problematic in oleander in terms of flowering - after all, the shrub flowers mainly on two-year shoots.
Tips
Prune oleander preferably in the spring, so as to eliminate winter damage. If necessary, the shrub can also be cut back to the winter quarters before it is cleared.