oleander is popular as a container plant. If you have enough stamina, you can cut off the seed pods after the oleander has bloomed and grow new plants from the seeds. We show how it works.
In a nutshell
- Propagation of the oleander mostly by division
- Propagation by sowing indoors is possible all year round
- Seeds form in pods after flowering
- Seed pods can be cut off and dried
- Toxicity requires extra care when gathering
Table of Contents
- Propagating oleanders by seed
- Instructions
- frequently asked Questions
Propagating oleanders by seed
who oleander (Nerium oleander) wants to propagate by seed can start sowing at any time indoors. However, the best time is early spring, which allows strong seedlings to form by the end of May. After the ice saints, these are stable enough for the outdoors.
A notice: When cutting off the seed pods, keep in mind that all plant parts of the oleander are highly poisonous! Nerium oleander belongs to the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). Contact with him is dangerous for humans and animals. A particularly high concentration of toxins is found in the green leaves. In the event of symptoms of poisoning, notify the emergency doctor immediately!
If you know the danger of Nerium oleander and are careful, you can have a lot of fun with the beautiful plant. We show how seed cultivation works.
Instructions
- Put on gloves to avoid direct skin contact with the oleander plant.
- Cut off the seed pods on the oleander.
- Lay the pods flat on newspaper or paper towels. After a few days, they burst open and the seeds appear.
- Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for a few hours to swell.
- Put the seeds in nutrient-poor potting soil. They should be lightly covered with soil.
- Place the seed trays in a bright place.
- Keep the substrate moist. Covering with cling film will help.
- The oleander seedlings can be seen after five to seven weeks.
- Plant the young plants in small pots with a humus-rich substrate.
- In May, when no more night frosts are to be expected, the plants can move outdoors.
- Shorten the young plants by a third when they have reached 20 centimeters in height. This stimulates budding and beautiful, bushy plants can develop.
A notice: Nerium oleander needs a sunny spot in the garden that is sheltered from the wind. Only in the third year bloom young oleander plants.
frequently asked Questions
Contact with plant parts can cause skin irritation, itching and redness. After eating parts of the plant, nausea, vomiting, cramps or headaches can follow. The ingestion of larger amounts can lead to death in humans and animals!
Propagating oleanders from seeds is a real adventure. The offspring often has different characteristics than the mother plant. Let yourself be surprised!
Seeds arise only from fertilized flowers. You can tell that the seeds are ripe when the seed pods become drier and turn brown. When the first pods burst, you can cut them all off with sharp scissors.
If you value a rich bloom, you should remove the pods early. In this way, the shrub saves the energy required for seed formation. However, if your goal is to obtain high-quality seeds, you should leave the pods on the bush until they turn completely brown.
When propagating via cuttings, the properties of the mother plant are also transferred. If the mother plant suffers from diseases, her offshoots will likely be affected as well. For example, the oleander crab is feared. Young plants grown from seeds develop new properties. This offers the chance to raise healthy offspring.