Mandevilla cuttings?

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largosmom
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Mandevilla cuttings?

Post by largosmom »

Hi, I planted some mandevilla outdoors to crawl up a pair of trellises that I use to break up a stretch of brick wall on a sunny bed. While doing winter cleanup, I found that I had one vine with leaves still green, so I took a couple of cuttings. I have another potted mandevilla hiding in the corner behind the fireplace and it's still nice and green. I cut the rest back and will be mulching this area, with my brugs, really well tomorrow.

Now for the question, can I start cuttings of mandevilla, as I don't expect it to overwinter here in zone 7b/8a (I'm borderline). I'd like to have some small cuttings to put out next spring in the same spots, it really looked nice this year.

Laura
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Trellises with Mandevilla
Trellises with Mandevilla
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kHT
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Post by kHT »

I'd take cuttings and bring them into a fairly nice spot inside and they mulch with straw the ones out close to the house. My bet is they will come back if they have some protection and being that close to the house. We are keeping the brug house in the 50s and the Mandevillea are still green and blooming.
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largosmom
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Post by largosmom »

Thanks!

Laura
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Pandora
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Post by Pandora »

Laura, I hope your cuttings are doing great.

KHT, I wish my mandeville was doing so good. This is my first year and I brought it into the kitchen and all the leaves fell off. It still has sticks that seem alive and I plan to water it very little, just to keep some moisture in the soil. I hope when the sun comes back in the Spring it will come alive again.
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John
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Post by John »

I think it is very usual for the Mandevillea to drop all its leaves when brought into the house. Mine certainly has! It was in full bloom, so I hesitated to cut it back to the recommended 12 inches. It is trying to grow, but there is not enough light. That's my plan also, to keep the soil just moist enough... I have a lattice I'd like to see covered this summer. I don't know how easy it would be to root cuttings, can someone please post a how-to? Karma?
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kHT
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Post by kHT »

Another tropical that hates being moved so before I do so I do strip all the leaves, like the brugmansia they do grow back. Cuttings we take are in pots either put in the greenhouse on the heat mat or in the kitchen on the refridg.
This year I either have to get a bigger place for these and all the other cuttings or stop cuttings stuff back. I will not be doing these this year as they didn't grow as much as I would like. I must of missed them when spraying Messenger on them?? Ours this year are in the Brug house at about 50 and these are still growing strong! When cuttings I love to at least keep 3 to 4 nodes on each cutting.

I have had some discussion elsewhere on stripping leaves on plants that come inside. One will note the difference in the leaves if you check them out, inside leaves are much thinner. So when moving inside or out I religiously :wink: strip the leaves. Less mess and insects, too!!
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eastwood2007
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Post by eastwood2007 »

Here's the post about the mandevilla, Karma...

viewtopic.php?t=46635

very helpful!

John said the recommended height for pruning mandeys is to 12". When is the best time to do that? I have had a hard time finding any info on growing mandeys.

KHT, at your advice last fall, I stripped the leaves off mine and I cut it back to the height of the trellis (about 40" I think), then put it in the greenhouse. It is growing quite a few new leaves. Should I cut it back further now, or maybe in February? Or just leave it be? TIA for all your helpful advice...
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Post by kHT »

eastwood2007, if my memory serves me yours was fairly new so that is why I wouldn't hard trim it just yet. After 'G' posted the red one I had to go look for one! It's so small I'm in hopes it will make it, they sent it in Dec. and I'm not to happy. I knew better but it's the red one!! I'll check and see what I can find for ya this afternoon. I don't recommend the hard cutting back on a young plant. John how old is yours? Give me some input dear friend?
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largosmom
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Post by largosmom »

Well, I cut back and mulched the brugs and mandevilla. Both sat in the tray for about 24 hours before coming in. I sure hope I put them in water right side up.

My mandey cuttings are about 3-4 nodes, and I stripped the bottom pair of leaves off (or whatever went underwater in the vase). Should I take off the rest of the leaves too? I can take more cuttings if the weather doesn't kill my last plant, which is potted and in a corner of a brick wall for protection.

The brugs I also cut down to about 12 inches and the cuttings are 12-18 inches long, hope that was right. My friend who gave me my first one cuts hers to the ground then mulches well. Mine are peeping out of their mulch "volcanoes". Should I make a fresh cut on these? I was going to add an aquarium air bubbler to these cuttings tomorrow night and give them a fresh cut for water absorption if needed. I have two varieties of brug, one variegated. I gave my friend one of those this spring for her mom's garden and she gave me back a well-rooted cutting already, so that one should do fine. It'll get potted up this weekend.

Thanks for all the help!

Laura
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John
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Post by John »

Mine is in its third year. I think it will recover quickly in season, from the rather thick, woody stems at the base.
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kHT
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Post by kHT »

I did some research on this yesterday afternoon and found some interesting information I'll share from some sites with everyone. largosmom, you may want to dig this up and put in a pot. They don't like the cold and next year sinking the pot in the ground like we do brugs might be wise.

Site one:
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http://hortchat.com/info/mandevilla-care-and-tips

There are many varieties of Mandevillas,including varieties formerly known as Dipladenia. The old fashioned variety Mandevilla x amabilis Alice du Pont has fuzzy foliage and bright pink flowers, grows vigorously. Among other cultivars Mandevilla splendens (Dipladenia splendens) has a dark glossy leaf. Both are grown trellised and have a tendency to vine. These species of tropical vines winter over only in the tropical South. They tolerate a minimum temperature of 45-50F at which time growth will begin to slow down. For winter storage keep the plant outside as long as possible before bringing it indoors. Check for insects and use insecticidal soap if needed.
To winterize the plant; either treat it as a houseplant or store it in a dormant stage.
Mandevilla as a houseplant can be trimmed back to make it manageable and needs a sunny window to flourish. Water once a week. You will get some leaf drop due to lower light and humidy indoors.
Another way to winterize mandevilla is in a dormant stage in a garage or cool basement with temperatures around 45-55F. Cut it back to about 12 inches above the soil line. Treat for insects if any. Keep it dry but not completely dry. Check periodically for soil moisture. It will drop its leaves. The important thing to keep in mind is that you want to keep it alive it through the winter. In the spring some of the old growth may be pruned back and when new shoots develop move the plant to a sunny window. Pinch the new growth to get a bushier plant. Repot in fresh soil and set outside when danger of frost has passed.

Site two:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dipladenia or Mandevilla sanderii. You may call it by either name.
Special information for all you readers who live where it is cold and are trying to overwinter your Mandevillas inside
All of this species are heavy viners and tend to get bare and woody at the base. In temperate climates they will be semi-dormant in the winter and then start to grow rapidly once warm weather appears. Important note. Do not plant your Mandevillas in a place where the winter rain can pour down on them or in poor drainage areas. They can't stand cold wet winter feet. Believe me, they will punish you by dying after the 2nd winter.
2nd Hint. Do not cut your mandevilla back in the spring before it starts to grow. Let he plant tell you when it is spring.

Botanically they are all Mandevillea or mandevillas if you prefer to spell it this way. Traditionally this plant has been called Dipladenia. Dipladenia have smaller leathery leaves and have very little climbing habit. Usually they are grown as a container plant or a semi-hanging basket. The original Dipladenia were a very pale pink flower and it was discovered in the highlands above Rio de Janeiro. History indicates that perhaps only one plant was found and it is not found growing in nature down there now. Probably all condo's!!
They all need at least a full half day to all day sun. They will grow better in a container, even if you bury the pot in the ground. I'm not sure why this is so since most plants perform better in the ground. There is something about the winter cold that does not make them happy when they have their roots in the ground. Perhaps that same sensitivity to cold wet feet..
Grown in a container they will bloom all year if you feed them all year, give them good sun and protect from frost..

Over-wintering in the house.
In England many years ago after dipladenias had first been discovered and were being grown in Victorian gardens they overwintered them this way. They would re-pot the plants into smaller pots if that were possible. Don't try that, you'll probably kill it. They would then grow the plants as dry as possible in the most sun that they could find.
That is what you are going to try to do. Find a window that gets the most sun. Place your plant there. Add more light by using a special fluorescent tube called a grow light or at least use your regular household lights. A shop light suspended above the plant is good.
Just like the English...keep your plants on the dry side. Not no water, just very low water. It makes sense if you think it through. the light indoors is much less that even a cloudy day outside. A plant in low light slows down and uses very little water and fertilizer.
Even at best you will get those skinny long tendrils of growth. Cut them off just above some solid normal growth. I would not feed at all during its indoor stay. Leave the grow light on for an extra 4 hours per night. Spray off with water when the aphids attack, You may get some dieback of young growth. All you can do is spray with a fungicide and hope for the best.
When the warmer spring days come along put your plants outdoors for a sun bath during he bright times of the day. Be sure to bring it in. After a winter indoors that plant is just like you going to the beach for the first time in the summer. Fish belly white and just as tender. Once the weather is good and warm you only have to worry about the Aphids. and there will be aphids...trust me.
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eastwood2007
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Post by eastwood2007 »

Thanks, Karma! :D
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Post by largosmom »

Hmmm, well, we'll see what happens! I have a few cuttings, that hopefully will root and can stay indoors for winter. I cut the outdoors plants pretty low, though the cold weather already did most of the work. The only plant I brought in was my plumeria, which is still short enough to do this with, but might not be next year. I'm not much for "house plants". Seeds and cuttings seem different, somehow!

Thanks so much for posting the information, though, I found it very interesting. I have the glossy leaf version.

Laura
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Post by Old earth dog »

Laura said:
"Well, I cut back and mulched the brugs and mandevilla. Both sat in the tray for about 24 hours before coming in. I sure hope I put them in water right side up."

Just a tip on making cuttings. Cut the root end square and the tip on a diagonal. Helps in keeping the leaves from getting dirty when the sprout. :D :wink:
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kHT
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Post by kHT »

Thanks OED for stepping in. I have been really busy on a project and haven't been keeping up, sorry.
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largosmom
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Post by largosmom »

I have about 5 cuttings going, four in a vase, and one in a bit of foam oasis for that purpose. I put an air stone in as that seems to be the latest greatest thing to do for cuttings. They lost a few leaves but seem to be holding on to most of them so far. I think I'll have roots soon on the ones in the vase, which would give me four cuttings in spring if they continue to grow. Not a lot, but they are such an expensive plant. I mulched the parents well and have fingers crossed that they will come back. Will post a picture when I get a chance.
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Post by kHT »

largosmom, this is one plant we start in dirt due to the milk stuff that comes out when we cut them. We place some stuff in water for a day or two if the dirt is cold but nothing longer than that. It all goes directly into dirt as we have learned the roots are much stronger when formed in dirt than in water. Those air stones, well to me is a total waste as water roots are not what are needed for a healthy plant.
Or is that the old way of thinking? :wink:
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