Downers Grove, IL (Zone 5a) | June 2011 | positive
I really like the flowers on the Mandevilla so I had to have one for 2011 and now I am just waiting to see the blooms at my house this ye...Read Morear. This Mandevilla is from the Suntory collection which has the smaller leaves and bushier growth compared to the original mandevillas. I had gotten this plant from a plant show pretty early in the season so it was indoors for about 6-8 weeks before I was able to stick it outside in a nice large pot with some good soil and a trellis. I heard they do not like temps below 50degrees so it was a guessing game on getting it outside and yes at one point I had to drag the hug pot back indoors due to the way below 50 mark. I lucked out I didn't lose andy leaves this time around and the plant still looked healthy. The plant is climbing all over the trellis(I bought some of those baby hair claw hair clips to direct some of the shoots.) It's June 5th 2011 and I am just waiting for the blooms to start. Right now it gets about 6hrs of sun in late afternoon till sunset(summer months it will get more) if for some reason the lighting has changed I will have to move it, my friends was in full sun and it was full of blooms and was huge! She did over winter hers with success too! I lost mine due to not enought light indoors during the winter last year but I have solved that problem this year and will try again.
*****August 2013*****
I have decided I am no longer going to attempt to over winter any of the Mandevilla plants. Some of them survive only to take much to long to start blooming or I lose them over the winter. This could be due to cutting them back in order to fit them into the well lit crawl space. This is to much work dragging these indoors in the fall when I can just purchase them again in the spring for a low price. This year I may try and take cuttings over the summer and see if I am successfull with those. Sadly this will not be one of those plants I take a cutting off of.
This is the most gorgeous vine in my garden. once it established it took off like a rocket and blooms profusely. covered the trellis it ...Read Morewas planted at in less than 3 months.
I really like the flowers on the Mandevilla so I had to have one for 2011 and now I am just waiting to see the blooms at my house this ye...Read More
This is the most gorgeous vine in my garden. once it established it took off like a rocket and blooms profusely. covered the trellis it ...Read More