Detailed Monthly Management and Care Methods for Oleander Throughout the Year
Family and genus: Apocynaceae, Nerium.
Scientific name: Neriumindicum.
Aliases: willow-leaf peach, half-year red
Habits: Oleander is native to Iran, India and Afghanistan. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree and prefers a warm, humid climate. It has a certain degree of cold tolerance and can overwinter outdoors in warm temperate regions; in the Beijing area it can overwinter in a sheltered, sunny spot in a courtyard. It is vigorous and highly resistant to smoke, dust and toxic gases. It prefers a sunny, well-lit environment. It likes fertilizer and is afraid of waterlogging. It has strong adaptability to soil, can tolerate alkalinity, and is suited to sandy loam.
January: Do a good job of cold protection. Branches should be tied and supported to prevent snow from pressing and breaking them, and snow should be cleared promptly after snowfall.
February: Transplanting is best done in spring. Apply base fertilizer in the planting hole, and water thoroughly the first time after planting. Transplanting in other seasons requires a soil ball, and in summer leaves should also be appropriately thinned to reduce leaf surface evaporation. For frozen parts, short pruning should be carried out before germination, along with bud rubbing, etc., to help the tree recover its vigor. For shaping and pruning, generally keep 3 main branches on each trunk, and keep 3 more branches on each of these, so that a "three branches and nine tips" crown will form in the future.
March: For cutting propagation, cut 15-20 cm long branches, tie every 20 into a bundle, and soak them in 20°C clean water with 1/3 of the bundle submerged. Change the water frequently. After 7-10 days, when the submerged part of the branches turns white and the tips begin to become sticky, take them out and insert them into a seedling bed. They can also be soaked in water for 30-40 days, then taken out after rooting and inserted into a sand bed, where they can root in about 1 month. Apply liquid fertilizer once to promote growth and flowering.
April: The plants begin to bloom and continue until October. Pay attention to intertillage, weeding, and pest and disease control.
May: Promptly cut off faded flowers to avoid consuming nutrients.
June: Layering propagation is carried out during the rainy season. Select a mother plant that is more than 1 year old and has many branches. Choose current-year branches with a diameter of more than 0.8 cm, remove the leaves 33 cm from the tip, twist and injure the bark, bend into a figure "8" shape, and press into the soil to a depth of about 10 cm. Cover with soil and firm it to prevent the branch from springing out of the soil after watering. After pressing, water once, then water whenever the soil dries. After about 60 days, they can root and be separated.
July: Prevent waterlogging after rain, and promptly weed and remove spent flowers. Oleander has strong suckering ability, and during the growing period many suckers will emerge from the base. In order to reduce nutrient consumption and maintain an attractive shape, they should be promptly removed or cut off.
August: Same management as the previous month.
September: Same management as the previous month.
October: Same management as the previous month.
November: After flowering, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer once to promote robust growth.
December: Do a good job of earthing up for cold protection. Small seedlings should be wrapped in straw to prevent freezing. Carry out one pruning of suckers and overly dense branches. Control water, keeping it on the drier side.