In the warm and sunny regions around the Mediterranean, the oleander is also very common in the wild. The flowering shrub with its lush flowers loves the warmth and is therefore unfortunately not reliably winter-hardy in our latitudes. For this reason, a bucket culture is recommended to protect the plant from frost in the cold months.
Oleanders only tolerate light frost
Properly wintering oleanders
The optimal winter quarters for the oleander is between 0 and 5 °C cool, frost-free and also bright. It is better not to overwinter the shrub in a heated living room, because the plant needs a rest during the winter months. In addition, it is much too dark inside the apartment for the light-hungry, evergreen oleander - even if you position it directly in front of a south-facing window. It would continue to develop new shoots, but due to the lack of light it would become weaker and weaker and therefore more susceptible to diseases and infections. With a cool hibernation, on the other hand, the plant does not need as much light and can therefore remain in an unheated room, in a cold conservatory or in the garage.
Do not overwinter too early - oleanders need a lot of light
Due to the light problem, it is also advisable not to move oleanders to their winter quarters too early. The plants are generally winter-hardy down to minus five degrees Celsius and can therefore remain outside during brief and low frosts. it only makes sense to move them to the winter quarters if it is colder or permanent frosts are announced.
The right care in winter
Cold-overwintered oleanders do not need to be fertilized in winter, but should be checked once a week for pests and other signs of disease and watered if necessary. However, the water requirement in winter is considerably lower than in summer. Oleanders overwintering in the warm living room should receive an additional light source, and they will continue to be watered and fertilized as usual.
tips
From around the beginning to mid-March you can put the oleanders outside again - as long as no deep or permanent frosts are announced.