mandevilla - will it bloom again

Before fall frost I brought my vandevilla vine inside, leaves dropped, etc. It has been in low light, normal household temps, and light watering. Do you think she will produce and live this year? Since they are so expensive in my zone I wanted to give it a try. Should I add plant food and more sun? Or will it even produce again? Also, will it produce on hard wood or should I cut it to the dirt level?

Thanks,
Kathy

I have the double Tango Twirl that is growing through my curtains and miniblinds right now. I need to get it cut back again. It is getting some ESE sun from the window it is near and that is it.

It gets afternoon westerly sun. I couldn't wait to get back to DG and see if you guys have suggestions. I don't know if the hard wood is where growth comes or what. This is all new to me but the vine is so beautiful. How can I tell what I've got going? If I break one of the "limbs" will that tell if there is growth or? It has no leaves, nothing. Just like it's dormant.

When brought in for the winter, either you will give it what it likes or it will lose all its leaves. What it likes is strong light, heat and even watering. Without added light, no window in the world will admit enough light. Consider that at best it will get 50% light. This is because it will only get sun when that side of the room has sun. Add to that the amount of radiation the glass blocks, and the fact that unless it is pressed against the glass the amount of light it receives on a sunny day is less than 40% of what can be provided outside.

So assuming that you are like me and don't own a conservatory but have a Mandevilla, you have to allow it to go dormant in the winter. Without leaves, it hardly transpires any water, so allow it to go dry. Keep it cool so that it dries more slowly, and try not to let it grow for now. Very soon, small green buds will come out from everywhere. That is when you move it to the best light you can provide and start watering it again. The roots on these plants are like carrots and can store anything they need to get a new start when conditions improve. I cut it back when the new growth starts. The white sap causes allergic reactions in some people, it is best not to bathe in it. Spray the cuts with water if the bleeding is copious, usually nothing is needed.

If you grow tomatoes and let one or 2 plants for the tomato hornworm moth, you will get lots of seeds from your mandevilla. The plants you get from seed will have flowers ranging from dark pink to almost white and some with spirals of darker pinks on a lighter background. The seeds sprout after a long time (about 3 weeks) if kept warm and moist. When the new growth gets going, the seed pods turn brown and split. This is when you should plant the seeds since viability declines rapidly.

I should add that the roots should not be allowed to dry completely in the winter.

Mandevillas grow all year around in south Texas. If I forget to water mine they will lose their leaves :o) and when we had some cold weather - lots of leaves fell off too. I make a small scratch near the base of the trunk to see if it's still green.

Yellow blooming mandevillas are very popular here as well. Seems lots of folks have them growing on their fences and trellises. It's lovely to see all those yellow blooms and green foliage.

If your mandevilla doesn't make it...let me know...there is a nursery out here that I like to frequent...they sometimes sell starter pots and the mandevilla tendrils are 8 to 12 inches in length. If you want to work out a trade when your weather warms up send me D-mail and I'll drive by the place to see if the nursery has any in stock.

~ Cat

here in zone 5, I have overwintered several . Let all the leaves die off, put them in a cold room with little water, bring out in the spring in the sun and warmth and water. They sprout anew. (I had cut mine back to about 1 in) Now, on the downside, mine never did flower as nicely as they did the first year I had them.

Hello,
I purchased my first mandevilles last summer - 3 plants in 1 large hanging basket. Replanted in a 10 pot in Sept and brought it indoors, kept it well watered in a northern window. Cut it back in late Oct and moved it to a western window and continued to keep it moist. It didn't loose alot of leaves. At present its in a room with large windows facing S and W and producing new shoots. As it didn't go dormant, will it produce flowers this summer? Should I start to fertilize it now or later?
Thanks for your help - I'm a newbie to DG - mostly a perennial gardener, but enjoy growing "out of zone" plants/bulbs in containers & wintering over indoors.

Thanks everyone and Pete - you ARE amazing. What great info.

Putty, I may just take you up on the yellow purchase. I haven't seen yellow here.

By the sounds of it, I will probably put her in the basement for a 'cooler' touch for a couple months. It's been in the 72 degree bathroom all this time. I hope I can pull this one off.

Kathy

If anybody wants seed, drop me a note. You'll need to send a self-addresses stamped envelope. In the next month I will be trimming the plant and don't want all the seed. I'll send between 10 and 20 seeds. If you are the type who cannot compost a plant, you have about 2 years from planting to decide what to do with the plants. The first year they don't grow much. The second year they might get 2 ft/60cm tall. Watch out the next year. Like I mentioned before, the colors will vary. You'll get some bloom on some plants the 3rd summer. Seed should be sown as soon as received in well draining good soil. Keep moist and warm (baggie method works well.) And have patience. Normally, small seed germinates fast, but not in this case. I have 3 portions of seed that can go out this week, more in about week/10days.

Hi jacqui, these vines do not need to rest, conditions dictate it. They are from areas where drought is not unknown and an occasional frost burns them. Although we might think of them as jungle plants, the areas they grow in are quite dry in the winter months. They have adapted like many plants by shedding their leaves. If the plant continues to grow, it will continue to bloom until they get to about 20ft. Then I hear they get leggy. Mine will never see 10ft, so I can't say for sure.

One more thing, you say you got it in a hanging basket? Are you sure they were Mandevillas? They have been breeding smaller ones, but I didn't realize they were quite hanging basket plants. Can you post a picture?

Thanks Pete - The plant tag is Mandevilla. The hanging basket (12") had 3 plants and the grower wrapped the vines around the plants to create a support system (total height 20 -24 inches) and I let some of the growth trail down and others I tied to horizontal beams in the arbour..
I don't have a pic from last summer, but here's one as it is now.
Glad to hear it will bloom again. What about fertiziling it? When to start? The tag indicates temps of 60 -70 F, so I'll keep it indoors until mid June.
Thanks
Jacqui

I sent the photo separately...uploading pics is a new skill for me.
Jacqui

jaqui, that is a skookum looking Mandy.........Elaine