What is an Oleander?
An oleander is a flowering evergreen shrub from the family Apocynaceae, native to Mediterranean regions and widely planted as an ornamental garden plant. It has thick leathery leaves and fragrant clusters of white, pink, red or yellow flowers in summer. It is one of the most popular plants for hedges and screens due to its fast-growing nature and hardiness to cold weather. Oleanders make beautiful additions to any landscape!
Propagation Basics
Oleanders can be propagated by either seeds or cuttings. Both methods are relatively straightforward but will require some patience as they take time before displaying visible results. The following steps provide instructions on how best propagate oleanders using both methods:
Seeds
1) Collect ripe seed pods from your existing oleander shrubs when they turn brown in late summer or early fall.
2) Remove the seeds from within the pod; this can be done by cutting open the pod with scissors or simply squeezing it between two fingers until it pops open revealing its contents inside.
3) Thoroughly clean off any fleshy material that may still be attached to each seed then sow them on superfine potting mix about 0.4 inch (1 cm) deep and water lightly afterwards.
4) Position containers at room temperature away from direct sunlight for germination which typically takes about 21–30 days depending on conditions such as temperature, moisture level etc.. Be sure not to overwater during this period as too much water could lead to mold growth instead of germination!
Cuttings
1) Take 4–6 inch (10–15 cm) long stem cuttings with 2–4 leaves attached in springtime (or anytime there’s no frost). Cut just below a node so that it contains some roots if possible – you should see small bumps where these are located along each stem’s length if you look closely enough! 2 ) Trim off all but 2 leaves per cutting then dip them into rooting hormone powder prior planting into well-draining soil mix – you should use specialized succulent/cactus mix for better results here since these types typically contain more sand than others do which helps keep water levels balanced throughout propagation process enabling higher success rate overall . 3 ) Plant cuttings upright at least 1 inch (2 cm) deep apart from each other then mist constantly until new growth starts appearing – usually around 3 weeks after planting date depending on environment conditions such as humidity levels temperature etc . That being said , don’t forget about watering regularly during this stage making sure not too saturate mixture so further development would happen properly !
