Hello, I have a potted nerium oleander that dropped the leaves 3 months ago (I think the soil remained dry for too long). Now it has some branches growing from the tips of older branches, so it is doing well. In the places where the leaves were there are no visible "nodes" but from some of them something very small can be seen, like very fine tips of future branches. I am thinking of a way to encourage branching on the thick stems and I read in a book that notching may be a solution (making a small cut in the cambrium above a node). Will this work? How many should I do and where? If there are no visible signs of growth from that points does it make sense to notch the bark above? Thank you in advance for your answers, George P.S. Do you know a good article on the technique called "notching"?
You can certainly notch an Oleander, but be cautious to only cut just above where you currently see faint signs of new growth; if you over-cut it or cut where there is no visible growth, the plant might fail. Also, be extraordinarily cautious about the sap - wear disposable gloves and thoroughly wash your knife with alcohol and then with water once you're through. Oleander is one of the most toxic plants known to man, and caution is just sensible in this case.
Thanks a lot! So, the cut shouldn't be very wide, right? about a centimeter is ok? (my plant is a shrub, not a tree yet, so 1,5-2 cm diameter of stem). also I understand that it is important to cut through the cambium as well, not just the bark.
5 mm is more than enough if it's such a small plant. And yes, it's important to notch into the cambium - you'll know you're there because the plant will bleed fairly profusely (don't worry about it, just don't ingest it).
