How To Cut Dipladenia Properly - Cut Care Tutorial

How To Cut Dipladenia Properly - Cut Care Tutorial

Why does it make sense to cut back?

High-quality, pre-grown dipladenia do not need pruning. The not winter-hardy climbing plants celebrate the flower festival from early summer to autumn and say goodbye, never to be seen again after the first frost.

also read

  • How to properly cut the Dipladenia - tips and tricks
  • Can my Dipladenia overwinter in the cellar?
  • Are there different types of Dipladenia?

If suitable winter quarters are available, experienced home gardeners opt for multi-year cultivation. Proud owners of a temperature-controlled winter garden can look forward to the picturesque funnel-shaped flowers all year round. With this in mind, the focus is on cutting care. This table summarizes all options for a cut with tips for the best time:

Cut typeGoal / occasionbest time
Peachbushy growth of young plantsseveral times after potting
Conservation cutPromote abundance of flowersMarch / April, before budding begins
TopiaryShorten tendrils that are too long, clean off dead flowersduring the flowering period
Cut backcut to size in case of lack of space in winter quartersbefore putting away

Relaxing young Dipladenia - that's how it works

Small young plants that originate from their own propagation or that have been purchased cheaply consist of a few, long shoots. The shoot tips are removed so that a young, less branched Dipladenia grows bushier. In technical jargon, the horticultural trick is called peeling or pinching. Scissors are not absolutely necessary. How to properly relax a Mandevilla:

  • The best time is once or twice during budding
  • Put on thin disposable gloves that allow you to have some tactile sensitivity
  • Grasp the shoot just below the top pair of leaves between your thumb and forefinger
  • Break off to the side or pinch off with your fingernails

Since the tip buds have been lost, the pinched Dipladenia thinks about its reserve buds in the lower area of ​​its tendrils. There is an increased sprouting of side shoots, which bear numerous flower buds in summer.

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Loosening the point bypasses the dominance of top buds

The genetic blueprint of Dipladenia stipulates that growth towards the sky has priority. For this reason, the plant is pumping reserve materials towards its tip buds with all its might. Loosening the points destroys the floral plan and directs the growth forces into lateral buds and sleeping eyes, which then sprout cheerfully. By removing the tip buds from a young Mandevilla once or twice, you encourage bushy growth with this year's shoots bearing numerous flower buds. You also take advantage of the growth law of peak promotion when overwintered dipladenia start sprouting after a vigorous pruning.

Conservation pruning - prelude to the flowering period

For dipladenia that have been cultivated for several years, the time window for a maintenance cut opens at the end of the winter rest phase. The exotic creepers create most of the flower buds on this year's shoots, so pruning previous year's, withered tendrils is an advantage. It is up to your individual assessment to what extent a maintenance cut is made. We have put together all the options for a skilful cut for you below:

  • Powerful cut: Detach the tendrils from the climbing aid and cut back to 2 buds or pairs of leaves
  • Medium cut: loosen the tendrils and shorten them by half
  • Easy cut: cut back the shoots hanging down from the trellis

Always cut a short distance away from a pair of well-positioned blades. If your Dipladenia has shed the leaves in its winter quarters, cut a few millimeters above a leaf knot that points in the desired direction of growth. Then tie the tendrils loosened for the maintenance cut to the trellis again. Mandevilla species do not have organs of attachment like ivy. The curlers are therefore dependent on your help in order to grow up a climbing aid.

Tips

If tying long tendrils to a climbing aid regularly is too annoying, cultivate a Dipladenia as a traffic light plant. The creeper only grows upright where a climbing aid is available. Planted in a hanging basket, the exotic beauty lets its long shoots dangle casually and bloomed.

Occasionally cut in summer

Dipladenia is one of the self-cleaning flowering plants. Specifically, this means that the plant sheds withered flowers on its own. Regular trimming, as with garden hibiscus or phlox, is not necessary for a well-groomed appearance. However, the Mandevilla takes plenty of time for the process, because it strives for the formation of seed heads for multiplication. If you cut down tendrils that are too long in summer anyway, dried inflorescences should be removed at the same time. This is how your Dipladenia remains a feast for the eyes in summer:

  • Clean up withered flowers as soon as possible to prevent the formation of seed heads
  • Cut back too long shoots sticking out of the mold only if necessary
  • Position scissors just above a pair of leaves or a bud

Please carefully weigh the pruning of long vines in the middle of summer. On this year's shoot, a Dipladenia creates the buds for colorful funnel-shaped flowers. It is better to wrap a valuable tendril around the climbing aid and tie it there.

Digression

Bypass scissors versus anvil scissors

Dipladenia species and varieties cultivated in our regions do not lignify. Rather, the creepers thrive with thin, herbaceous and flexible tendrils. One-handed secateurs with a bypass mechanism are perfect for pruning. The scissors are equipped with two sharp blades that run past each other when you squeeze the handle. That leaves smooth and smallest possible cuts. Anvil shears work with one sharp and one blunt side. If the sharp edge presses the shoot against the anvil, there is a risk that the tendril will be crushed and not cut smoothly.

Lack of space in winter quarters? - cut back

A lovingly cared for Dipladenia reaches majestic sizes of up to 300 centimeters. Not every winter quarter is suitable for these extensive dimensions. Before you dispose of the busy summer flower in autumn due to lack of space, cut the plant back before putting it away. Take this opportunity to remove dead flowers and dried leaves. Please keep the circumference of the cut to a minimum. You complete the central conservation pruning at the end of the winter break, shortly before budding begins.

Milky juice flows freely - what to do?

A milky-white sap is characteristic of dog poison plants, such as Dipladenia. The poisonous secretion escapes in connection with a cut back . The larger the cut, the more sticky milky sap flows and drips onto deeper leaves and the ground. Contact with the skin can cause itchy eczema. Milky juice causes stubborn stains on clothing, carpets and natural stone. Sticky drops spoil the shiny, evergreen decorative leaves. It is therefore advisable to take the following precautions before each cut:

  • Put on gloves with cuffs
  • Cover clothing with an apron or plastic overalls
  • Cut the Dipladenia outside
  • Alternatively, protect the floor with foil or old blankets

Before starting the cutting work on Mandevilla, tear up paper handkerchiefs and form small balls of them. After each cut, quickly cover the wound with a wad of paper. Cotton balls are also a good way to catch the flow of juice.

frequently asked Questions

Can a Dipladenia hibernate outside?

Dipladenia are generally not hardy. The temperature minimum is 5 degrees Celsius. For this reason, the climbing plants in our latitudes are mostly cultivated as an annual. After the first frost at the latest, the plants die off completely, including the root system. Wintering outdoors is not possible, even with extensive protective measures. The only exception is Chilean jasmine (Mandevilla laxa). In a tub or planted out in mild winter vineyards and equipped with winter protection, the climbing plant can withstand temperatures between -5 and -10 degrees Celsius.

Are Dipladenia varieties poisonous?

The botanical assignment to the dog poison family already indicates it. Dipladenia varieties are poisonous to humans and animals. The exotic creeper is permeated by a white, poisonous milky sap. Intentional or unintentional consumption of leaves, flowers or capsule fruits causes severe nausea and vomiting. Skin contact with the white sap can cause allergies and eczema. Please always cultivate Mandevilla out of the reach of children and pets. Always wear gloves with gauntlets during maintenance and cutting work.

At what temperature should a Mandevilla be overwintered?

From early to mid-October it is too cold for a Mandevilla on the balcony or in the garden. If the temperatures drop below 10 degrees at night, move the exotic climbing beauty into the bright, frost-free winter quarters. At temperatures between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius, there are good prospects of an undamaged overwintering. Warm, cozy living rooms with well over 20 degrees Celsius are not suitable, because the combination of warmth and lack of light ruins every Dipladenia. A slightly tempered winter garden with a maximum of 18 degrees Celsius elicits a mandevilla with a little luck a year-round bloom.

Do the terms Dipladenia, Mandevilla and Sundaville refer to different types of plants?

Various names and trade names are circulating around the genus Dipladenia. Mandevilla is a synonym for the generic name, sometimes in the French spelling Mandeville. The name Sundaville hides one of the most beautiful Dipladenia varieties with fiery red funnel-shaped flowers. The botanical tower of Babel is completed by other trade names, as Dipladenia are sometimes offered as Chilean jasmine or false jasmine, due to the similar flower shapes.

Can I use the clippings from a Mandeville to propagate cuttings?

It is quite possible. Healthy head cuttings with at least three pairs of leaves are best. Cut an offshoot to a length of 10 to 15 centimeters and remove all leaves except for the pair of leaves at the tip of the shoot. If there are already flower buds, these are also removed. Place two thirds of the cuttings in a pot with poor potting soil and water. A transparent cover promotes rooting in the light, warm location. Use wooden sticks or long matches as spacers to prevent contact between the cover and the cutting.

The 3 most common mistakes

Typical cutting errors mean that a Dipladenia does not bloom after overwintering or is attacked by diseases after cutting back. The following table lists the three most common mishaps in the Mandeville cut and gives tips for prevention:

Cutting errorsDamageprevention
never cutfewer flowers from year to yearprune back every spring
cut too latefew or no flowersPrune in good time before the start of growth
dirty scissorsInfection with diseases and pestsAlways clean and disinfect the scissors beforehand
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Tips

Popular Dipladenia varieties for balconies and patios have thick, beet-shaped roots. The roots act as storage organs for water and nutrients. For gardeners with limited time, Mandevilla is therefore the ideal plant. The need for watering is limited to an average interval of 8 to 10 days, without the furious flowers being affected. It is important to note that the exotic climbing plants are mainly watered with soft rain or stale tap water.