Q&A for How to Prune Oleander

Yes. You should prune all of the dead wood off of your oleander. Do this regularly, throughout year as needed.

If you have an old oleander, then you can heavily prune select branches about half way down. This will encourage cut branches to split off and grow more branches. Young oleanders can be cut to the ground in the fall. This will encourage bushier growth in the spring.

You can cut off the old bloom, but make sure you don't cut the branch, otherwise your oleander won't bloom next year.

It depends on the cultivar. Cultivar like Atlas, Italia, Eole, Cheyenne and Navajo can survive until -9°C to -12°C but others such as Luteum Plenum, Alsace or Rosario don't tolerate freeze well.

You can cut the half of the bush height-wise. You can also cut all the branches that curve to the ground.

I would not prune in the heat of the summer. Wait until September when it cools down.

You can remove dead branches at any time, but if you want to cut living parts, you have to wait until late summer or early fall.

Your oleander may have suffered from freeze. Wait until spring. If it doesn't make new leaves, it's dead.

No, wait until late spring, and some new branches and leaves should appear on dead looking parts. If this doesn't happen, your Oleander is dead.

No, you better wait until the first leaves appear to spot dead parts. You can cut, but bigger pruning can only be done in late summer or early fall.

This is normal when replanting anything. Give it some time. Be sure to have fertilizer in the new spot.

This depends on whether you want a bushier plant or more of a tree-like plant. If you want more of a tree look, cut the thinner and more curved stems that are at the bottom. Try to keep the straightest and thicker stem so that it is more of a trunk for your oleander.

Yes, but gentle pruning can be done during its growing season; however, any heavy or multiple prunings should be done only after the growing season is over, typically very late summer and early fall.

You can do a ''hard pruning'' but it is best if you do it when the weather is much cooler. Avoid any hard pruning during the growing season. That could result in your plant going into shock and dying off.

All of the leaves, or just some? Yellowing leaves can be a sign of over or under watering, or root rot as a consequence of too much water. You could try transplanting your oleander into new soil; making sure there is sufficient drainage, trim back dead and brown roots, and use a good root starter fertilizer such as miracle growth with a high nitrogen rate; the first number in a fertilizer rate (n-p-k).

Probably not. 2 feet wide in your overgrown shrub will only leave thick branches, like the trunk of trees and probably not enough leaves to screen effectively. You have 3 choices. Cut 2 feet off each side each year to slowly reshape it over a few years. Or, cut it almost to the ground an keep cutting off sprouts that are farther out than 2 feet and hope it survives. Or, take it out and plant something that matures at 2 feet wide.