He althy oleander leaves are dark green and shiny. However, various causes can cause the leaves to turn completely or partially brown and become dry. In most cases, care errors are behind this phenomenon.
Why does my oleander have brown leaves?
Brown leaves on oleander can occur due to drought, an abrupt change to the sun or over-fertilization. If the leaves are brown after the winter break, the fungus Ascochyta (dry rot) may be the cause. Remove affected leaves and ensure correct care.
Causes of brown leaves
If your oleander gets brown leaves, the following reasons are often behind it:
- The oleander was not watered enough and is too dry. Due to the lack of water, the plant dries up.
- Especially in winter or at the end of it, brown leaves indicate a lack of moisture.
- You placed the oleander in full sun straight from its winter quarters. In this case, the plant reacts with burns, which manifest themselves in brown leaves.
- If the leaves do not turn completely brown, but only the edges of the leaves, then you have probably meant a little too well when fertilizing the heavy feeder - brown leaf edges usually occur as a result of over-fertilization.
Brown leaves after the winter break
All of these reasons are comparatively harmless because the shrub can regenerate quickly. But be careful: Brown leaves in particular after the winter break can also be an indication of an infection with the Ascochyta fungus. This disease is also known colloquially as dry rot, as the affected plant appears to be dry despite sufficient watering.
Appropriate countermeasures
Before you take any action, you should first find out the correct cause - only then can you take effective action. However, be aware that the brown leaves will not turn green again and you will have to wait for new growth. Take a close look at the affected oleander: Can you possibly see any fresh shoots on the leaf axils? If so, just pluck off the brown leaves and shorten any excessively long shoots. The oleander sprouted again all on its own. In other cases, however, only a radical pruning will help.
Tip
Brown leaf spots can also be an indication of an unsuitable location.
