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Last week, we had frost and saw alot of stuff die back but these oleanders are still flowering and producing blooms. I read online that the best time to prune oleanders is by the end of September when they're done flowering and I've been meaning to prune them cause they've gotten so leggy that without support, they just fall completely to the ground. Should i prune them now or wait untill spring or when they're done flowering?enter image description hereenter image description here

Hamid Sabir
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Late flowering Oleanders like yours are actually best pruned in late winter or early spring; pruning back now if your weather gets cold may encourage new growth which will be damaged by frost. Oleanders which flower earlier usually finish flowering earlier, so can be pruned back in September, but it's too late in the year now to do them, especially if you've already had a frost. It's not essential to prune them at all - if yours are leggy, are they growing in a position with insufficient light/sunlight (it's hard to tell from the image how much light they get). Otherwise, it's relatively light pruning for younger plants, usually concentrating on removing damaged, weak or unwanted growth and perhaps shortening some stems to encourage stronger plants. Further information on harder pruning here https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/oleander/rejuvenating-overgrown-oleanders.htm

Bamboo
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  • Great information. Especially the article you've attached. Though i am a bit concerned about pruning all the way back to the ground as the article tells. 1/3rd of all stems that is. Regarding sunlight, these oleanders are planted next to a south facing wall that gets sun all day long so im a bit confused as to how they ended up getting so leggy in the first place. – Hamid Sabir Nov 16 '19 at 23:14
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    The pruning in that link refers to 'renovation' pruning, which is what you do with a large, overgrown oleander, not a young one. As for your own oleanders, the problem might be that they're growing in a narrow space with a wall quite close behind them - even in the UK, oleanders get 3-4 wide, so yours will naturally have to lean forwards in order to grow, which means they're likely to lean right over as they do - they'll look like they're desperately trying to get away from the wall behind over time. Otherwise, have you been giving them lots of fertilizer?too much can cause sappy, weak growth – Bamboo Nov 17 '19 at 11:30
  • It didn't occur to me, untill now that i might aswell have planted them way too close to the wall. Like only a foot away. I hope they'll be fine and that i might not have to have them removed in the future. Regarding fertilizer, i only spread a layer of compost when i planted them this april. That's it. So what should i do? Keep deadheading and leave them staked or cut back like 1/3rd of the height come spring? – Hamid Sabir Nov 23 '19 at 00:51
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    Yes, although whether you will need to take a third off the top of each one come spring is hard to predict - examine each one in spring and take off whatever's necessary in terms of weak, damaged or spindly growth and cut back to strong stems. On some stems, that might be more than a third, or less, or nothing at all. – Bamboo Nov 23 '19 at 09:10