Dipladenia or mandevilla: care

The first thing to be said about the mandevilla, dipladenia or Chilean jasmine , as a precaution, is that this pretty climbing plant is toxic. It is not a problem to the touch, but it should not be ingested under any circumstances. Take this into account if you have pets or small children, and keep it out of their reach to avoid accidents.

Having already made the safety recommendation, we can say that it is a tropical plant that has its origin in South America, with bright green evergreen leaves and large and showy flowers in white, yellow, pink and red tones.

It is usually grown in pots, and although it is a climber, it does not have tendrils and does not reach heights of more than 5 meters, so it can be pruned to keep small sizes.

If you like plants of this type, we recommend this other article on the Names of flowering climbing plants .

There are a large number of species and types of dipladenias or mandevillas . Some of the most common are the following:

• Mandevilla boliviensis: Originally from Bolivia, this plant produces white flowers with a throat of shades between orange and yellow with a pleasant smell, although not more than 5 cm in size.
• Mandevilla sanderi: this species comes from Brazil and its leaves are oval and very bright dark green. Its flowers are pink and up to 7 cm.
• Mandevilla splendens: climber, this species shows its stems covered by a fine layer of fluff. Its leaves are large, and its white or red flowers are short-lived individually.

In this gardening guide we give you the basic care of dipladenia or mandevilla :

Location and brightness

Mandevilla can be grown both indoors and outdoors, but it needs light, heat and a humid environment, as with many tropical plants. Outside, place it somewhere where it receives partial sun, ideally during the morning, but never directly in the hours of greatest intensity. Indoors, look for a very bright room, but where it is protected from direct light in the hottest hours. Never place it next to heat sources such as kitchens or radiators, or in areas with drafts.

Both indoors and outdoors, it is good that you place it next to something like a trellis or pole that it can hold on to to grow.

Soil and compost

This plant needs a well-drained soil to avoid waterlogging, which makes it susceptible to attack by pests and diseases. Use black peat with coconut fiber as a substrate if you plant it in a pot. In any case, limit yourself to organic fertilizers for the plant. Compost, bokashi, and guano work well.

Here you can learn how to make homemade organic compost for plants .

Irrigation of dipladenia

You should try to keep the soil of the mandevilla moist but not flooded. This means that, in summer, you will usually need to water it between two and three times a week, while the rest of the year it will be enough with once a week or even less. If in doubt, try sticking a toothpick in the dirt. If when you remove it, it does not have soil attached, it means that it is dry, and therefore you can water.

Pests in dipladenia

This plant can be attacked by mealybugs and spider mites. For mealy bugs, a cotton swab or swab dipped in soapy water is enough. For spider mites, spray the plant with potassium soap or neem or neem oil.

In this other article we show you how to combat pests in organic farming .

Pruning of the mandevilla

If you don’t want your mandevilla to grow too large or you just want to keep it healthy, prune it between spring and summer. Trim stems that are getting too long, and be sure to remove any wilted flowers.

Mandevilla care in winter

This plant is quite susceptible to cold. Even indoors, if the temperature falls below 10ºC it will begin to lose its leaves, and it is very possible that it will not survive cold winters if care is not taken with it. You can put glasses of water around the mandevilla so that the environment remains humid around it, and even wrap its pot in a thermal blanket for gardening use, although taking care to keep the drainage holes free.

If your Chilean jasmine or dipladenia does not bloom in spring and summer, it is probably because one or more of its needs described above are not being met. Most likely, the plant is receiving too little or too much light, or is near an area with drafts or nearby artificial heat sources.

Go over the points one by one and your mandevilla will soon produce its big and beautiful flowers .

If you want to read more articles similar to Dipladenia or mandevilla: care , we recommend that you enter our category of Growing and caring for plants .