When I decided to grow the mandevillas, I managed to kill my own quite some time before summer even came. Overwatering, planting it in moist soil that acted more like a sponge, caused me to see the leaves of the plant becoming yellow in color before the root rot killed it. What I did not know about and what most beginners’ guide fails to cover is the fact that the mandevilla plant is extremely strict when it comes to both neglects. In case of watering it too much, it will simply die as it will be deprived of air due to wet roots.
It it receives insufficient sunlight, it will not bloom at all. However, do everything right and this fastgrowing flower will present you with an abundance of brightly colored flowers in various shades of pink, red, white, crimson, scarlet red, deep rose and yellow. Mandevilla spp. belongs to the Apocynaceae or dogbane family, and this family includes both oleander and periwinkle plants.
It was initially observed by Henry Mandeville, an English diplomat and botanist, in the forests of Argentina in the late 1830s. Mandeville discovered it, named it dipladenia, and brought it to England. However, it was renamed in order to honor him. This plant has been transformed from a strange botanical plant into one of the most popular ornamental plants within just two centuries since its introduction into European and American gardens.
Varieties and Cultivars Worth Knowing Before You Buy
Knowing what kind of mandevilla you have in your hands affects practically every further care step and thus makes a perfect starting point for an article devoted to growing such plants. Species wise Mandevilla includes several plants, like Mandevilla laxa, or Chilean jasmine, which is characterized by large clusters of fragrant white flowers blooming on the vine of 12-15 feet length. This plant is more hardy to cold than other mandevillas, but it is native to southern Ecuador and northern Argentina; thus, it is not surprising that Mandevilla laxa is described as the most deer-resistant species.
Mandevilla Sanderi
One of the fastest-growing Mandevillas is Mandevilla sanderi, or Brazilian jasmine, which grows up to 23 inches per year if it is planted outside and is free from frosts. Mature plant is 15 feet tall and is characterized by red flowers with short yellow throats. Red Riding Hood variety of Mandevilla sanderi is notable for deep pink-red flowers with yellow throats grown on a shrub, which is 6-8 feet long. Mandevilla boliviensis, or white dipladenia or white mandevilla grows up to 10-12 feet with white flowers and orange yellow throats.
Sun Parasol
The Sun Parasol series from Suntory Flowers Limited has become the modern benchmark for mandevilla varieties. Sun Parasol Giant Pink has 4 inch flowers that are soft pink in color. It can be grown as a 15 feet long climber. The next variety, Sun Parasol Giant White, has huge 4 inch flowers against dark green foliage. Sun Parasol Crimson and Sun Parasol Giant Crimson are 15 feet in height and have deep red flowers.
The Sun Parasol Pretty Crimson produces more flowers compared to other varieties and its flowers are about 2 inches wide and are of deep red color. The Sun Parasol Pretty Pink has more branches which result in more flowers being produced on each stalk. The Sun Parasol White has to 3 inch wide flowers in white color and grows against dark green foliage. Sun Parasol Burgundy and Sun Parasol Red Emperor complete the collection of varieties of bushy habit suitable for container gardening, mailbox gardening, and pool side gardening.
New Cultivars
The new cultivars that have been bred using controlled breeding methods including Sunmandecos, which is a Mandevilla amabilis hybrid with patented rights from Suntory has lianous growth form, bright yellow coloring of the flower’s throat and deep purplish pink flowers with longer blooming period that suits potted plants and glasshouses. Among the popular cultivars is Alice Dupont with medium sized pink flowers, each up to 4 inches wide.
Another cultivar is Red Velvet with stems that grow up to 20 feet during a season and is well suited for trellising and arbor growth. The new cultivars also consist of compact bushes such as Costa del Sol Pink by Costa Farms that grows up to one to two feet tall and are great for hanging baskets, window planters, and window boxes.
Sunlight, Soil, Temperature, and the Growing Conditions That Determine Whether Your Vine Thrives
Mandevilla is designed to thrive in full sunlight. Six hours per day of direct sun is the minimum, while eight hours gives optimal blooming results. In areas where it gets too hot, mandevilla needs some shade during the afternoons to protect its luscious green foliage from being scorched by the sun rays; otherwise, the lack of light will prevent it from blooming and develop an unhealthy habit of growing thin stems that cannot be remedied by feeding with fertilizer.
This is where beginners usually make their mistake with their plants. It is necessary for you to have a good drainage soil along with a slightly acidic soil PH if your garden bed is made up of heavy clay soil. If you see that there is standing water near the roots of the plant, it means that your plant is suffering from root rot which is the most common problem and also the most common mistake which people commit while interpreting it to be under-watering. This is because both of them show the same symptoms and that is yellowing leaves and wilting of the plant in the presence of water.
In terms of container gardening, a 16-inch pot filled with potting soil that drains effectively, along with trellises or an obelisk placed behind the plant can provide adequate space for the climbers to grow. The water needs of mandevilla grown in pots will be more compared to those of the landscape vine in summer months when the temperature is high; several watering sessions can be required weekly as soon as 1 to 2 inches of soil dries out.
The temperature requirement should be between 70 and 90 degrees F in daytime and 60 to 65 degrees F in nighttime in outdoors while indoors it should be from 60 to 75 degrees F for houseplants. Humidity requirement should be from 50 to 60%.
Feeding, Pruning, and Training a Mandevilla Vine the Right Way
Mandevillas Bloom
Mandevillas bloom on new growth, and this impacts how fertilization is done as well as when to prune in such a way that surprises many gardeners. Fertilize the plant every two weeks during the growing season with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer, or choose a slow-release or timed-release option that you can apply once per season. The best fertilizer is one that is a little more concentrated in phosphorus as this helps in blooming rather than in growing foliage; a phosphorus-rich liquid fertilizer is ideal for container types.
Fertilizing The Plant
Discontinue fertilizing the plant when the last days of summer are coming and the plant will spend the winters indoors. Stop fertilizing the plant completely from fall through spring while it remains dormant.This is because nutrients released during low light in winter cause leggy growth that causes trouble when the plant is brought back outdoors during spring.
Late Winter Or Early Spring
Late winter or early spring is a good time for pruning your mandevilla so that new growth and proper flower production for the year can be achieved. You need to prune about one-third to one-half of the vines to keep its size in control and lower the stress on the roots in supporting the stem throughout the winter period.
This is due to the fact that the flowers grow on new growth and if you prune your plant at a later stage, there are chances that you may remove the buds which have grown on the current-year stem. Pinching off the growing tips will help in having a bushier plant along with more flowering stems. While pruning the plant, make sure you wear nitrile gloves and goggles since the sap from the plant causes skin irritation.
For vines that climb, erecting structures like a trellis, pergola, arbor, trellis fence, or even a lattice structure to aid the vines to climb is required from the early part of the growth period. Without the structures, the sprawling vines cover the ground and yield fewer flowers. The vine plants should be tied to the erected structures for training them into their respective direction because they naturally wind.
Pests, Diseases, Toxicity, and the Safety Considerations Every Grower Should Understand
Mandevilla plants are free from diseases and pests when grown under ideal outdoor conditions. If the same plant is wintered indoors, then the entire gamut of diseases and pests that are prevalent among indoor houseplants is likely to infect the plant – such as spider mites, red spider mites, whiteflies, mealybugs, aphids, and scale insects.
Check the leaves from time to time, focusing on the underside of the leaves, where insect pests commonly start their attack. Spider mites lead to stippling and yellowing of the leaf surface. Whiteflies, which resemble small moths that feed on plant juices, result in yellowing and wilting of the leaves. Mealybugs show themselves as white fluffy insects, located on the stems and underside of the leaves. They weaken the plant and stunt its growth, as do scale insects, which attach themselves to stems. In case of an infestation, start by spraying the leaves with water, followed by neem oil or horticultural oil (insecticidal soap). Several applications will get rid of the pests without using any chemical insecticides.
Root Rot Disease
Regarding disease, root rot disease is still the major fungal disease threat to Mandevilla, and the only method of prevention is not to over-water and use well-drained soil always. Fungal diseases like anthracnose, which causes leaf spotting and stem cankers, and powdery mildew, which makes the Mandevilla leaves appear white and powdery, can be encouraged by wet and humid indoor conditions.
This plant is poisonous to children and animals to some extent. The plant’s toxicity is genetically inherited and has no connection with fertilizer or pesticides used or soil pH. Cats are inquisitive and tend to eat plants just because of their curious nature, which means that keeping it away from them is better than assuming that the cats would avoid eating it based on the taste of the plant.
Dispose the cuttings by using double-bagged them and disposing of them with garbage; they should never be composted or mulched. Be careful while choosing the right companions for the plant: It should not be planted alongside any food plants as it might contaminate the produce through the sap. Peels of citrus fruits planted around mandevillas act as an invitation to pests and not as a deterrent. Eucalyptus oil and peppermint oil are toxic for cats.
Overwintering, Indoor Winter Care, and Bringing Mandevilla Back Every Year
The mandevilla plant grows as a perennial in frost free environments such as USDA zones 9, 10, and 11. In other locations, it can either be grown as an annual flower, planting anew every spring or overwintering mandevilla indoors during winter. Overwintering indoors is less costly for mature vines with well developed root system especially in large Sun Parasol plants which need a season to grow into climbing size.
Prepare to overwinter the vine when nightly temperature reaches the fifties, not necessarily waiting for the warning of the first frost. Mandevillas can tolerate nightly temperatures not lower than 45 degrees Fahrenheit but not below this mark since the plant is cold stressed prior to freezing. Cold stresses the tropical plant and makes its acclimation indoors difficult.
What should be done first is pruning of the plant prior to bringing it indoors. The plant’s thinning out by removing one third to one half of its parts will make it easier for the roots to support fewer stems through dormancy period of winter. Thoroughly check the plant for pests on the stems, undersides of the leaves, and new growth before bringing the plant indoors. The plants should be sprayed with neem oil or insecticidal soap at least twice, first and after a few days.
Overwintering
Place the mandevilla that was overwintered near the southern window which allows bright but indirect light for six hours daily. In case no windows have enough natural light, you will need to provide a supplemental LED grow light. The watering should be done much less frequently since, in winter, due to cold temperatures and lesser light, the growth of the plant slows down drastically, and it needs significantly less water than it needed while growing outdoors during the summer period. In case the plant is placed indoors under warm conditions with a temperature above 60 F, then the plant will not go into dormancy stage and water it only when the topsoil dries out.
However, some people prefer to spend winters with mandevillas in greenhouses or sun rooms since these places provide more similar light and temperature conditions compared to tropical habitat. You can move your mandevilla to the outdoors when the temperature during the night does not go below 50 F degrees and the daytime temperature stays not lower than 60 F degrees.
Hummingbirds And Butterflies Love Mandevillas
Hummingbirds and butterflies love mandevillas in hot climates; thus, this plant is perfect for making pollinators’ gardens along with other plants requiring the same conditions of lighting and watering. Tropical hibiscus is a perfect companion plant for your mandevillas because such mixture of trailing flowers and flowers looks really well. Kimberly Queen fern will make your garden composition softer. Sun-loving companions will add harmony to your garden rather than cause any troubles. Mandevilla vine should be used in the garden setting by training it on trellis, allowing climbing up the pergola, hanging from the hanging basket on the patio edge or covering the fence from spring till late autumn.
Conclusion
The gardener who will take the time to research the mandevilla plant before planting it will be amply repaid. Proper drainage of soil, right amount of sun, fertilizing with phosphorus on a regular basis throughout the growing season, proper pruning in late winter, and proper preparation for the colder climates make this tropical plant a perennial one, getting better each year. Whether you are growing Sun Parasol Giant Crimson in 15-foot trellis, Costa del Sol Pink in a hanging basket in an apartment in the city, or Alice Dupont in Zone 7 during the winter months in a sunroom, mandevilla plant is among the rarest plants with pretty flowers that can be grown by any gardener.
