Mandevilla is on my shopping list every year. I usually opt for white. I try not to buy it too early in the season because it can only be left outside after nighttime temperatures consistently remain above 55F.I always repot my mandevilla so that it can climb up the trellis that I already have. It requires some unwinding from the support that is provided in the nursery pot and sometimes that takes a while so a little patience is required. Often times, you can buy the mandevilla in a good-sized pot with its own small wooden trellis and there's nothing at all wrong with leaving it just like that. I saw a whole bunch at Home Depot a couple of weeks ago--healthy plants at a price that was well below that of the area nurseries.
I unwound this white mandevilla and planted it in my pot with my green wire trellis. The plant was sort of drooping forward and I thought it might need some immediate help locating its support. So I got some garden tape and loosely tied several of the plant stems to the trellis to give it a helping hand. Now there's no stopping it.
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5 comments:
After seeing how beautiful your Mandevilla was last year I went to home depot and got one few weeks ago. I agree that it should only be brought outside when it's warm because mine didn't take off until these couple of weeks. I think mine is a different kind of Mandevilla because the leaves are smaller and looks different. I'll post the pictures soon.
Louise: I'll be curious to see pictures of your mandevilla. Our Home Depot had a terrific inventory of plants this year. I was very impressed. And the prices always beat the nursery.--Miriam
Just your brother dropping by the site to check out the latest. Looks really great. Hope the summer is a productive season for you. Talk to you soon.
I love the plant but I was under impression that it is a perennial. I have not bought it just for the fear of maintaining it over the winter. Have you managed to care for it during winter?
Dear Night Vision:
Thank you for your comment. To answer your question, mandevilla does not survive the winter outside--at least not in my zone. I treat it as an annual. My friend in Pennsylvania kept one alive for many years by moving the plant inside over the winter to a room that got some light. Unfortunately, I don't have space to overwinter plants inside. --Miriam
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