Oleanders are famous for their vigorous growth, and let me tell you, those roots don’t mess around! They spread fast, which means you’ll eventually need to move your plant to a new pot or a different spot in the garden to keep it happy.
Why You Might Need to Move Your Oleander
When an oleander is in the perfect spot and getting the right TLC, it’ll reward you with lush growth and a stunning display of flowers. However, there are two main reasons you might need to roll up your sleeves and transplant it:
- The current pot has become way too small.
- You’ve got a garden-planted oleander that needs to head indoors for the winter.
Moving Your Oleander to a Larger Pot
If you’re growing your oleander in a container, you’ll need to repot it regularly. This gives those hungry roots the room they need to stretch out. Plus, it’s the perfect time to refresh the soil and give the plant a boost with some fresh nutrients and fertilizer.
For younger plants, I recommend repotting once a year into a slightly larger container with fresh potting mix. Older, established oleanders can be a bit more of a workout because of their massive, dense root balls. For these big guys, you don’t always have to go up a pot size; sometimes you can just scrape away as much old soil as possible and replace it with fresh stuff without fully removing the plant from its home.
Moving Garden Oleanders Indoors for Winter
Here’s the thing: oleanders aren’t exactly fans of freezing temperatures, so they aren’t the best candidates for permanent outdoor planting in most climates. While you *can* plant them directly in the ground, digging them up every single fall to move them to a winter shelter is a lot of back-breaking work.
A pro tip? Plant the oleander in the ground while it’s still in its pot! This makes it so much easier to “harvest” the plant when the cold hits. Once spring rolls around and the frost is gone, you can just sink the pot back into the garden soil or simply set it out on the patio in a decorative planter.
