How to grow oleander bonsai? Practical care methods shared
Oleander, also known as willow-leaf peach and half-year red, is an evergreen large shrub of the genus Nerium in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). Its flowers are large, the inflorescences are dense, and they are deep red and double-petaled, giving it high ornamental value. It is native to India, Iran and Afghanistan, and has a long history of cultivation in China, spreading across urban and rural areas in both the north and the south.
The leaves of oleander resemble bamboo and its flowers resemble peach blossoms, hence the name oleander. Oleander is a very common flowering plant in home courtyards. Below, let us look at the care methods for oleander:
Oleander likes sufficient light and warm, humid climatic conditions. It is also slightly cold-tolerant and can overwinter outdoors in warm temperate regions without dropping its leaves. Oleander is robust by nature, tolerant of poor soil and drought, and not demanding about soil, but for pot cultivation, loose, fertile ordinary potting soil with strong permeability is still best, and prolonged wetness and waterlogging in the pot must be avoided. It has strong resistance to smoke, dust and various harmful gases.
The base of old oleander plants often sends up many tender shoots in clusters. When they grow to 10 cm long, they can be broken off with a heel and inserted into fully decomposed potting soil; with shade and moisture retention, the survival rate is also very high.
Oleander is robust by nature and its cultivation and management are fairly extensive. For pot cultivation, repot and change the soil once every 2 years, and a small amount of long-acting fertilizer such as feather, hoof and horn meal can be placed at the bottom of the pot. During the growing season, apply liquid fertilizer 1 to 2 times as appropriate according to growth vigor. Oleander tolerates pruning and has strong sprouting ability. Aged plants can be rejuvenated by pruning in spring together with repotting and soil changing, cutting all branches off from the base to encourage new branches to sprout and restore vigor. Generally, plants should also be pruned moderately in spring to keep the plant shape well balanced and the tree vigor strong.
In summer, potted plants should be watered and misted frequently to keep the potting soil and environment moist, but they must never be kept wet and waterlogged for long. Oleander has another characteristic: after just one instance of drought and dehydration or heavy waterlogging, the lower leaves of the plant quickly all turn yellow and fall off, so watering must be timely and moderate. After heavy pruning in early spring, pay attention to withholding water to prevent root infection and rot. Loosen the potting soil in a timely manner, and remove flowers promptly after they fade. In summer, aphids and red spider mites occasionally cause damage, and ordinary pesticides can be used to eliminate them.