Q. I have two, 7 foot tall
oleander bushes about 8 feet apart. Can I turn them into trees by cutting all
the branches to the ground except for the largest, fattest branch in the
middle? I know the suckers will be a problem for a while. Also, is it safe to
grow a small vegetable or herb garden between them? Is oleander flower and leaf
mulch safe around the edible garden?
A. Yes, you have the right
idea. Oleanders can make very nice small trees but the suckers at the base will
be a problem for several years.
 |
| Oleander pruned to a multi-trunked tree and in bloom. |
They can be
made into a single trunk or a multi-trunked tree. Multi-trunk trees are easier
to manage. Select 5 to 7 stems, or branches as you call them, coming from the
base and going in different directions. Odd numbers of branches are more
pleasing to the eye than an even number. Those are the stems you will keep.
They should be large and vigorous.
 |
| Oleander suckering from the base when pruned as a multi-trunked tree. |
Remove
all other stems as close to the ground as possible. A reciprocating saw with a
pruning blade is an easy way to remove them than a saw or loppers. Remove side
branches from the stems up to a height that looks good to you. The trunks
should be cleaned of side branches. Make sure you cut these side branches as
close to the trunk as possible. Clean the trunks anywhere from 2 feet up to
about 4 feet.
New stems
will sucker from the base throughout the growing season for several years. This
is because oleander wants to be a shrub. You are forcing it to be a tree so it
will try to revert back to a shrub.
As soon
as suckers emerge from the base, remove them by pulling rather than cutting. If
you pull them when they are very new they are easy to remove. Removal by
pulling causes fewer suckers in the future than cutting them.
Oleanders
are poisonous but research from California demonstrated that leaves and stems
can be composted and returned to the soil without problems for other plants
including vegetables.
