Oleanders are large, graceful shrubs with profuse blooms and glossy, dark green foliage. There are numerous varieties with single or double flowers, most of which are white or bloom in various shades of pink or violet. Oleander is one of the evergreen plants and originally comes from the Mediterranean region. The shrubs can grow up to five meters high in their homeland, but can also be cultivated as bonsai.
Oleander bonsai need a lot of attention
Oleander is very high maintenance
However, if you want to grow an oleander bonsai, you should not shy away from extensive care. Even as a container plant, the plants need a lot of attention, especially with regard to water and nutrients, and are also quite demanding when it comes to their preferred location. Oleander bonsai kept in flat pots are even more capricious, because the substrate must not dry out. In addition, the plant, as a pronounced heavy feeder, must be fertilized regularly. But be careful: Over-fertilization causes the leaf edges to turn brown and brown spots to form on the leaves. These discolourations do not form again!
What you need to do to make your oleander bonsai thrive
- Location: warm, sunny, sheltered from the wind. It is best to place the oleander in front of a warm wall or wall, ideally under an eaves.
- Watering: As often as necessary, the substrate must not dry out. If possible, use stagnant tap water.
- Fertilize: At least once a week with a good fertilizer for flowering plants.
- Pruning: In early spring. However, do not remove all the older branches at once, because oleander flowers on the perennial shoots. Faded flowers are not cut off, just plucked off.
- Hibernation: cool, but frost-free and as bright as possible.
Growing an oleander
You can easily grow an oleander yourself by potting cuttings or sowing seeds you have collected yourself. Older oleander bushes can also be divided and rejuvenated easily in this way. When growing bonsai, it is advisable to raise a cutting - this is much faster than growing a plant from seeds. In addition, with a cutting you know exactly what to expect: After all, it is a clone of the mother plant. When it comes to seed cultivation, on the other hand, there can be big surprises.
Which styles are suitable?
Oleanders are perfect for being grown as a chokkan (strictly upright), shakan (inclined) or as a triple or multiple trunk (sankan or kabudachi).
tips
When cultivating oleander bonsai, it is important to pay special attention to pests: the shrubs are very susceptible to pest infestation.