Proper care of the Dipladenia (also called Mandevilla) also includes regular pruning. We show why, when and how to cut Dipladenia and what you should pay attention to.
The Mandevilla (Mandevilla) is often also called Dipladenia. Many also only know the Sundaville, a popular hybrid variety of the Mandevilla. It originally comes from the tropics and is valued above all for its lush flowering. If you want to have something of your Dipladenia for many years, you should overwinter the non-frost-tolerant plant and nurture and care for it accordingly. This includes regular pruning to keep the plant in good shape and encourage more and more lavish buds. Therefore, in our article you will learn everything you need to know about pruning your Dipladenia.
Why do you have to prune Dipladenia?
If you only want to enjoy the lush blooms of the Mandevilla for one summer, you don't have to use pruning shears. But if you want to have something of the beautiful plant for several years, you cannot avoid regularly pruning your Dipladenia. And there are many reasons to cut the Mandevilla: First of all, you should know that commercially available Dipladenia plants have usually been treated with a growth inhibitor so that they do not grow too tall. However, this decreases over time and the flowering plant begins to sprout and climb to its heart's content as it pleases. However, if it grows too much for you, it's time for a pruning. Even if there are too many long, unsightly shoots and withered flowers on the plant that bother you, you should better use secateurs. Very young Mandevilla plants grow more tall and not wide. If you want to encourage them to grow bushier, you can do so by pruning.
A cut in which the shoot tips are cut off is called pinching and causes the plant to grow in width. It also forms new and more flower buds in this way. Even if yourIf you have had Dipladenia for many years and you have the feeling that the flowers are slowly disappearing, a pruning can help. Another reason for pruning is to prepare for wintering. A pruning heralds the cold season of the Dipladenia. And last but not least, pruning is always required when the plant is infested with diseases or pests.
Reasons for pruning the dipladenia:
- Growth too luxuriant: care cut
- Stems too long, wilted flowers: topiary
- Helping young plants to grow bushy and develop new flower buds: Pinching
- Declining Flowering: Rejuvenation Pruning
- Preparing for Winter: Pruning
- Disease or pest infestation
Pruning Mandevilla: when and how often?
Of course it is important to cut the dipladenia at the right time. But we already know that there can be numerous reasons for a cut. Depending on the reason, the right time to cut is then to be chosen. A pruning to keep the plant small is recommended in spring. You can cut off shoots that are too long and faded flowers at any time. The cutting of the shoot tips, the so-called tweezing, is done several times after repotting until you have achieved the desired result. Time for a rejuvenation pruning for profuse flowering is before bud break in March or April. The pruning for the winter should of course be carried out in autumn before the plant is admitted. To combat pests and diseases, you can always reach for the secateurs.
The right time to cut back Dipladenia:
- Maintenance cut: In spring
- Topiary: Anytime during flowering
- Petting: Several times after potting
- Rejuvenation pruning: before budding in March/April
- Pruning: In autumn before wintering
- In case of disease or pest infestation at any time
Tip: The taper cut should be done as early as possible. The later the pruning, the later the flowering.
How to properly cut Dipladenia
The first step in pruning your Mandevilla is choosing the right tool. A dull pruner does more harm than good. So before cutting, sharpen your scissors and put on gloves. The sap that is produced when cutting theNamely, Dipladenia is very harmful to the skin.
Now we can start cutting. For a care cut, you can boldly and radically cut all the shoots in half - you want to cut back the plant because it has become too big for you. The vigorous Mandevilla will grow back to its former glory soon after pruning. For maintenance pruning, remove all withered flowers as soon as possible and shorten shoots that are too long as needed. Pinching is a bit more complicated. To do this, it is best to put on thin disposable gloves to have better fingertip sensitivity. You don't need scissors, just use your fingers. Now remove the shoot tips on all shoots by breaking them off just below the first pair of leaves. As a result, more side shoots will sprout and the plant will become bushier. This also results in the formation of more flower buds.
For a taper cut, however, you will again need the pruning shears. Here all shoots are cut off so that only two buds remain on each shoot. The Mandevilla always blooms on this year's shoots. Due to the pruning, it is forced to sprout again and can develop many new flowers. When pruning for the winter, the extent of the cutting measures depends on the respective winter quarters. The rule of thumb is: the darker the winter quarters, the more radically you have to cut back. Therefore, cut back your Dipladenia in half before winter for a light winter quarters and leave only a few centimeters of the shoots for a dark winter quarters. If your plant is attacked by pests or diseases, you have no choice but to cut off all infected parts of the plant as quickly as possible.
Overview: How to properly cut Dipladenia
- Use sharp secateurs
- Put on gloves
- Maintenance cut: Shorten all shoots by half
- Topiology: remove flowers promptly, cut off shoots that are too long as needed
- Peeching: Without scissors, break off the shoot just below the first pair of leaves with your fingers
- Rejuvenation pruning: Cut back all shoots by half, leaving only 2 buds each
- Pruning: Depending on the quarter, shorten by a third or to a few centimetres
- In the event of disease or pests: cut off all affected parts of the plant
Dipladenia after cuttingmaintain
In order for the Dipladenia to recover as quickly as possible after cutting, you should create optimal growth conditions. This means a location that is as bright as possible with temperatures that are not too cold. Of course, regular watering is also part of it. But don't overdo it. Waterlogging is very damaging to the Mandevilla. In the spring it is also time for fertilization so that the plant can grow vigorously. You can fertilize with compost or a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect. Our Plantura organic flower fertilizer provides your Dipladenia with all the important nutrients and also protects the environment thanks to its resource-saving production.
Caring for Dipladenia after cutting - Summary:
- Favorable lighting conditions
- Not too cold temperatures
- Regular watering
- Fertilization in spring with compost or organic slow-release fertilizer
Those who love their Dipladenia will get them through the winter unscathed. You can read everything about overwintering the Dipladenia here.