Oleanders are Mediterranean plants and thus require hot dry weather conditions in order to flower. They will commonly respond to wet weather by ‘aborting’ their flower buds. 

If this is the case, we would recommend pruning back any of the aborted growth to the nearest green ‘node’ (ie. the knuckle where 2 stems are joined) to help the flowers come back with more vigour next year.

The following tips will help you get the most out of your Oleander next season:

• Oleanders need full sun to bloom properly. 
• Oleanders can have large root structures, if they do not have enough space they can compete for nutrients, causing weak or no blooms. 
• While mature oleander shrubs are drought tolerant, all oleanders need adequate water during their bloom time or the oleander will not bloom. From early summer to fall, water your oleander well once a week. A stressed oleander will not bloom. 
• They also need well-drained soil, so relocate the shrub if puddles form under it during rainstorms. 
• Deadhead the flower clusters when they begin dying. This extends the flowering period and prevents the oleander from forming unattractive seed heads. Cut the stem tips off with pruning shears right after removing the flowers to encourage new branch growth and possibly new flower clusters. 

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