Re: Oleanders in containers
Alessandra, Your note is most useful. I have standards from Vanuccio,
Pestoia. There is a tendency for the flowering stems to bend over with the
weight of the flowerheads once in bloom. Any suggestions? Also, when does
one prune and by how much?
----- Original Message -----
From: Vinciguerra, Alessandra <A.Vinciguerra@aarome.org>
To: <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: 31 May 2000 9:48
Subject: RE: Oleanders in containers
> Hi, Damian,
>
> oleanders in Italy are very popular for container cultivation, and they
are
> a must for terrace gardening: I think that each and every terrace in Rome
> has at least a pair of them, specially on the poorest (windswept, sunny)
> positions. My mother on her terrace has been growing oleanders in
> containers for a very long time, I'd say at least 20 years. Now they are
> really old and leggy, and they should have been planted out at least 5
years
> ago, were it not for my mum's nostalgic attitude; however for a very long
> time they gave quite good results. They are growing in standard terracotta
> lemon pots (60 cm diameter), and each year they were given 5 cm new
topsoil,
> and good liquid feed throughout the growing season. Every 3rd year or so
we
> took them out of the pot, prune the roots hard (that is slice away all the
> outer smaller roots) and repot them with new soil. They were also
carefully
> pruned in the spring Keep an eye on pests, as oleanders in pot are prone
to
> scale insects (the black one we call here "half pepper-grain") and aphids.
I
> think you can count on 10 years of good performance before you have to
> transplant them in the ground.
>
> Hope this helps,
> Alessandra
>
> Alessandra Vinciguerra
> Superintendent of the Gardens
> American Academy in Rome
> Via Masina,5
> 00183 Roma Italy
> Tel. 39-6-5846444
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: iberbier@cgac.es [i*@cgac.es]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 10:18 AM
> To: Medit-plants
> Subject: Oleanders in containers
>
>
> I've planted a set of standard size (not dwarf) oleanders in containers.
> The containers are 1/2 oil drums. So far, so good - they are growing
> lustily and budding for their first flowering. How many years do you
> think I can keep them healthy before I have to plant out?
>
> Damian
>
> ----
> Damian Martin
> Talavera, central Spain
>
>
