Nerium Oleander Problem

[real_ale]

the leaves on my oleander are going yellow and falling off, whats the cause, is it the lack of rain or something else.

[sanatic1234]

I have had the same problem, i think it may be water related? some one on here will have some expert advice but every-time i water mine they are so thirsty. It is worse than my Nana's. I have also seen other oleanders in flower but mine have yet to flower. they have had the buds for about 2 weeks now but just are not opening up?

[Las Palmas Norte]

All evergreens shed older leaves in the summer months while, or shortly after new growth emerges. Perhaps this is it's situation and you need not worry at all.

Cheers, Barrie.

[Alexander]

Oleanders shed the old leaves in summer. Same with Magnolia grandiflora and other evergreens.

Alexander

[stephenprudence]

I'd say it was just shedding leave too, I have a bed of brown leaves under mine at the moment. It's about to flower so I know there's no problem.

Has yours got flower buds yet? - if it has then you dont need to worry

[Exotic Life]

I agree with the people above. With variety do you have, mine new variety from this spring is in full flower at the moment.

[alext22]

I had this problem with mine in the past and found it to be lack of water, they are only drought resistant if established in the ground so ive read. In pots I have to water nearly every day in this sunny warm weather. Had it earlier in the year so increased watering and it stopped yellowing of the lower leaves. last year i didnt know what it was and didnt increase watering and it lost lots of its leaves and became leggy.

[real_ale]

I'd say it was just shedding leave too, I have a bed of brown leaves under mine at the moment. It's about to flower so I know there's no problem.

Has yours got flower buds yet? - if it has then you dont need to worry

Mine has finished flowering, then the leaves started to go yellow then fall off.

[palmking]

I'd say it was just shedding leave too, I have a bed of brown leaves under mine at the moment. It's about to flower so I know there's no problem.

Has yours got flower buds yet? - if it has then you dont need to worry

Good one Stephen.

My White flowering Oleander 'Blanca' got hit hard with the winter at -10.3 C minimum this year. I kept a Fleece bag over it all winter and cut back all but one stem to the ground and the other about 15 cm from the base. It took until June with heavy fertilising to start sprouting and now it's going mad with growth.It's now dropped all but 2 of its original leaves on the tallest cut stem. Doubt it'll bloom but it's a testament to how hardy this plant can be with some protection.

My other Giant leaved (pink)Oleander(up to 15cm leaves) at about 3 foot high has lost a lot of lower leaves. That took -5C in the shed , after which I brought it indoors and it's growing rapidly, with a few flower buds starting to swell.

The smaller pink one I'd planted snuffed it.

PS I think the problem is two fold - Lack of water at the roots in pot grown plants, coupled with the fact they don't like fertiliser salts lying against the root ball. Fertilise one week, then flush your plants through once a week with water. This goes for a lot of plants. My new Phoenix canariensis_CIDP, I had to cut a foot from one of the fronds and the tips of another , which turned yellow/Brown. I put it down to the plant not being established and Nitrogen salt build up around the roots in dryish soil.Even with daily watering I wasn't flushing deep enough. It looks perfect now.

Paul.

[Darlo Mark]

I got one half price in B and q last autumn. I overwintered in an unheated greenhouse and a fleece jacket. Must have took at least -6 and probably a few degrees lower. It lost most of its leaves and a quarter of its branches but has recovered remarkably well and is now flowering! Although I wasn't expecting white flowers!

[stephenprudence]

I'd say it was just shedding leave too, I have a bed of brown leaves under mine at the moment. It's about to flower so I know there's no problem.

Has yours got flower buds yet? - if it has then you dont need to worry

Good one Stephen.

My White flowering Oleander 'Blanca' got hit hard with the winter at -10.3 C minimum this year. I kept a Fleece bag over it all winter and cut back all but one stem to the ground and the other about 15 cm from the base. It took until June with heavy fertilising to start sprouting and now it's going mad with growth.It's now dropped all but 2 of its original leaves on the tallest cut stem. Doubt it'll bloom but it's a testament to how hardy this plant can be with some protection.

My other Giant leaved (pink)Oleander(up to 15cm leaves) at about 3 foot high has lost a lot of lower leaves. That took -5C in the shed , after which I brought it indoors and it's growing rapidly, with a few flower buds starting to swell.

The smaller pink one I'd planted snuffed it.

PS I think the problem is two fold - Lack of water at the roots in pot grown plants, coupled with the fact they don't like fertiliser salts lying against the root ball. Fertilise one week, then flush your plants through once a week with water. This goes for a lot of plants. My new Phoenix canariensis_CIDP, I had to cut a foot from one of the fronds and the tips of another , which turned yellow/Brown. I put it down to the plant not being established and Nitrogen salt build up around the roots in dryish soil.Even with daily watering I wasn't flushing deep enough. It looks perfect now.

Paul.

Oh yes Nerium oleander certanly are a tough plant. I have found a lot of Mediterranean species have to be hardy because many places (even coastal), will get frequent frosts, it;s somewhat of a myth that Mediterranean coasts don't get frosts because ground frost happens quite regularly. These plants so have to be well equipped for that at the roots, therefore testament to how quick yours grew back.

They can take some snow too, although they often look tatty after being covered in snow. Although mine didn't get damaged by frost this year (too much), it was flattened by the snow, and it looked ugly in the Spring so needed a good hair cut.

Glad yours has come back quickly though Paul, it'll probably become super thick and bushy after being cut back now!

[palmking]

I'll be posting pictures in Late August. I know i've hi-jacked the thread but hows your Y.Guatemalensis doing Mine is growing rapidly from the base (4 pups), even my Aloe striatula came back from the dead , multiple pups and looks like an established plant again.

Laters.

Paul.

[stephenprudence]

Unfortunately my dad did not share my enthusiasm about its recovery, and threw it away (without my knowledge). Of course I ws a bit angry at first because it was fairly aged plant and of course would have recovered fairly quickly.

What is done is done though, and I replaced it with the hardier but similar Yucca aloifolia.

I have however got a Yucca guatamalensis for my girlfriend whose winter climate is slightly milder than mine

[Andy]

Hi,

If it's any consolation, I bought a cheap Oleander a couple of years ago. It was fine until I tried to overwinter it indoors, which it really didn't like and lost most of it's leaves! I planted it out in Spring 09 and it did perk up a bit. However, the last winter pretty much finished it off (even under fleece). To be honest, I thought it was dead, but I have been amazed how many new green shoots have appeared out of the old wood. Like others have said, I think they seem to like a nice warm summer and lots of water...

Cheers

Andy

[Alexander]

I think that hardiness of oleanders is very dependable of how much heath they get during the summer and early autumn. When they get every day from May till September temperature of arround 30 C they are much more frosresistent. I have seen that arropund here, there are 2 pretty large oleanderrs here in town. Bot are in full sun and farely well sheltered from cold winds. Both are normal oleanders, not selected ones. The had some frostdamage but not a lot. But Nerium oleander 'Atlas' in my sisters garden is plaine dead! It got sun but not the whole day so I guess: moresun=moreheath=more hardiness. In Germany they have some good results with oleanders. And much colder winters.

Alexander