Q: About 1 ƒ years ago I purchased four white flowering oleander plants—the tall not the petite variety. They have been deep watered regularly, fed in May and have only grown about 1/16th of an inch. They have original leaves, have flowered but have no new growth or leaves. My hope was these would grow quickly in front of my screened in porch. I have other oleanders in the back and side yards that are huge, some of which I have planted. I wonder if the soil is old as I have lived here 31 years and the home was built in 1968. There had been huge juniper trees that died over the years. Perhaps this area of soil is not rich enough to support new growth. I’ve considered moving the oleanders and putting in birds of paradise.
A:Â Many woody plants will take up to three years to grow a lot after planting so I think you should give it more time. Another factor could be the roots of your old junipers. If they were cut down recently and simply cut at the soil level, the stump and roots are still in the ground. That means the roots will decompose over time and in the process take nitrogen from the surrounding soil for that process, leaving less for your new plants. Not knowing the exact situation with your junipers, I am doing a little guesswork here so it would be good to have more information about the timing of their demise and the planting of your oleanders. Having your soil tested is a good idea if you are still concerned about this. There are a few labs in the area that will test it and you can call the Pima County Extension Office to ask for their contact information.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Questions may be emailed to plwarren@cals.arizona.edu
