Help needed to insure overwintering a Mandeville

I live in Mich. and have had very bad luck over wintering Tropicals. Can you share any secrets. I have a grow table and produce about 50 flats of flowers a year along with over wintering cannas, begonias, dahlias, elephant ear, coleus and such.
But the mandeville have me stumped also lantana. HELP!

Mandevillas are very hard to winter over because of spider mites and mealy bugs - better to just replace them each year. I have wintered them over, but they don't do well the next year and I end up buying new ones anyway.

Even here in my zone, Mandavella is also a challenge. I ditto to what Kay has said. Don't get me wrong they survive alright, but will not flourish. And the efforts involved to keep them bugs-free? Will cost us more in insecticide and labor, than it worth. So I treat mine as annuals too.

Bummer. I was just going to ask about taking a cutting off my parents plant. It's so beautiful.

Lala;
I almost hurt when I've to whack my two Parasol red & white Mandavellas to free my Passi. and save it this evening. I love them too, but controlling aphids indoor is a bigger bummer. Spider mites love them as well. I've my furkids indoor, and not having a real greenhouse. Using chemical inside become a real health-hazard issue. Both for us human and the furkids.

If I were to use a dormant oil and try not to grow them but just to hold them dormant for
the winter would that work? Has anyone tried that??

Jazzzy, I asked the same question about a month ago and got a good amt. of info here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/769958/

Good luck~!

Pagancat thank you so much. I read every word. i'm not sure I can sustain the conditions. My home is at 63-64 degrees all winter. But I have two Costco 5 tiered shelving units with halogen lights and flor. lights. I am going to put them close to the lights and we shall see if we can make them survive or not!!
Thanks for the info. You people here are so helpful!! I'm glad to know ya!

Glad to help!

I overwintered two mandevillas in an east facing window last year. One treatment that I think really helped was about once a week or so I filled the bathtub with hot water to about 4 inches, and placed the pots above the water on makeshift platforms, and closed the shower door. I'd leave them in their sauna for 6 to 8 hours.

They didn't take off with growth & blooms until almost midsummer, but when they did, they were spectacular. They're still cranking along now and it's pretty cold out there. They're so big, I can't do it again this winter.

So I may try what I did with some fuchsia last year: strip the leaves and place the pot in a big black plastic bag, close the bag, and put them in a cool dark spot in the basement. Once a month I'd open the bags, air them out a bit, water (lightly) if necessary, and then back in the bag until March or so. If they were too wet, I left the bags open at the top until the next check in. I also put bamboo sticks in the bags to keep the plastic from touching the plant. That worked ok for the fuchsias at any rate.

Hi Jazzzy, Im new here to DG, I live in Indiana, and I do winter over my mandivallia, I dig up the plant, spray it good, with a home concotction, for the white flys...Listerine, dish soap, and water, bugs hate the taste, and I have to repeat it in the winter a time or too, I keep it along with my jasmine... that also attracts white flys... In my sun room with the hot tub, I keep the room about 60 degrees, and the steam off the hot tub ads humidity, as we get in a couple of times a day. This year the man and jas, will share the room with angle trumpets, and devils trumpet. Mine bloomes in the summer and doesnt seem to do too bad, it does loose leaves, but growes new when its overwintered.
give it a try. I learn so much from DG.

wizz47,
Just the news i was hoping to here. I have 2 Costco 5 shelved metal racks set up with lights in a large North side window. Not the best exposure but lots of light. I have a small fan going 24/7 and i have 2 console humidifiers running day and night. i keep the room at only 62-64 degrees. I am hoping this will be good enough to let them go dormant. I over winter 2 beautiful jasmines and they look great!! I also overwinter cumquat and Meyer Lemon tree. They all do very well and i have never had any bugs (knock on wood) It is bound to happen thiough so thanks for the spray receipe.
I am so excited for all the help i have recieved here.
You have all been really great. The finest bunch of Garden people i have ever met!!!