How to Avoiding Winter Damage to Oleanders

The oleander is also called as "the desert rose". If you live in a cool or cold place, here are some ways to help your plant survive.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Shredded newspaper
• Plant Pot
• Storage Space

1. Many people have luck caring for their Oleanders in the winter season by taking them into an attached unheated garage.
2. Put them into pots and then into a cardboard box filled with shredded newspaper for insulation. Stand them up vertically in the pots.
3. Fill the box with more shredded newspaper, placing it over the tops of and around the plants, filling up the boxes.
4. Water them about once a month until spring. When watering them, pull some of the shredded paper back and give them a small amount of water, but don’t soak them.
5. The plants will become dormant when they are stored. By mid-winter they will probably ripened and they will produce seeds. You can then harvest those seeds if you wish and plant them, or they will fall off in the box and you can collect them later.
6. When the temperature warms up in the spring, unpack your plants and place them back outside and enjoy them!!

Tips & Warnings

• Oleanders seem to be pest resistant.
• These plants are fairly carefree and give a lot of color when blooming.
• These plants are know for their longevity and fragrant smell
• If you water them too much, they will rot and die
• Oleander can be poisenous, so keep away from children or animals that may eat the plant.