Question
Coach Dave, I have what my friends call an oleander jungle. I have them completely covering my 8 ft. privacy fence they are all about 12 ft. tall. I live in Midland Tx and we had a severe frost this year. Rare, but has happened before. But for some reason all the oleander leaves are brown and curled. When Inspected, the stems are green and healthy but I do not know what to do to help them. Please advise.

Answer
Dear Joni,

Howdy, Hello, and Hi, I'm Coach Dave and I am a garden expert at The Home Depot. I work with many types of shrubs. I like "Nerium Oleander" bushes because of their rapid growth and seemingly indestructible hardiness to many areas in the world.

During and after cold months I have noticed what is referred to as "leaf scorch". Usually I've noticed it on the sides and top of the bush, but eventually this spreads to other parts.

The bad news is there is almost nothing you can do about this problem.  The good news is that a healthy trimming will not only get rid of these unsightly leaves, but will also promote new growth.

When trimming an Oleander bush make sure you think about the shape your trying to achieve. If one side of the Oleander needs plenty of trimming, you should do the same to the other side to keep everything looking even and balanced.

Let me know if you have any other concerns,

Yours Respectfully,
Coach Dave