Oleander Buds Are Falling off

Plant Healthy Oleanders

• When you buy an oleander, make sure the label gives you its correct botanical name, not a vague description such as a single-red or double-white blossom. If you know the exact cultivar, you can research its specific needs. Buy only dense, bushy oleanders with thick stems and dark leaves. Avoid plants with spindly stems, broken branches, yellow leaves and rotting leaves. If the oleander is diseased or is infected by mealy bugs and aphids, it is a candidate for stress.

Planting Shock

• If you have an oleander shipped from a nursery out of your growing area, it can become shocked by environmental differences in moisture, light and temperature. After you receive a plant, keep it moist and in a shaded area protected from temperature extremes. If you have more than one plant, keep them close together to help them stay erect in the wind and to reduce the loss of water through the pores in their leaves, called transpiration. It might take several days to weeks for them to adjust to the new conditions. If possible, buy oleanders from local nurseries.

Drought

• Drought or lack of water can stress an oleander. Established oleanders can usually survive drought, but drought stress can affect bud growth and flowering. Water your oleander 1 to 2 inches a week during dry weather. If you anticipate dry conditions, prune one-fourth to one-third of the foliage to reduce water loss through transpiration. Prune growing tips and tender parts that dry out easily.

Fertilizer

• Your oleander can become stressed and drop buds if it is not getting enough nutrients from the soil. The International Oleander Society recommends applying 2 pounds each of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium for every 1,000 square feet occupied by oleanders. Apply once in the early spring and another in early fall. If your oleander is growing in a lawn that is correctly fertilized, you shouldn’t have to add more.

Ethylene

• Ethylene, a hormone, regulates plant growth. When an oleander is pruned or its flowers are collected, it produces higher levels of ethylene so it can regenerate. Concentrations of ethylene from an outside source can cause leaves or buds to drop, including smoke and automobile exhaust, as well as some forms of bacteria, fungi and yeast. You can buy commercial products containing the active ingredient silver thiosulphate to counter the negative effects of too much ethylene.