Mandavilla Vines

[chickadee]

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How can I make my Mandavila vine flourish in Zone 5 ? What type of winter care do I need to provide? How soon can it be put outside in the spring?

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[Newt]

Hi Chickadee,

Welcome to Plant Ideas!! Take a look here.
http://www.garden-services.com/mandevilla.htm

Newt

[chickadee]

From Chickadee

Thanks so much I didn't know I could take root cuttings from this vine!



"I'd rather have flowers on my table than diamonds around my neck!"

[Newt]

You are very welcome! Glad you found that helpful. There are lots of vines that can be propagated that way. :)

Newt

[chickadee]

From Chickadee, Do you think a Mandavilla is best kept in a pot all summer in Zone 5? I'll be overjoyed if it makes it through the winter! It is getting some new growth where I cut it back. Would it be safe to take cuttings now?

[Newt]

Hmmm, I'm not sure I can give you a yes or no answer on that one. There's a couple of things to consider. Here in zone 7 most people keep them in pots and move them in and out. The advantage of that is getting them to bloom earlier because you have more control of the temperature and can bring them in at night if it gets too cold. The disadvantage is the physical need of moving of them and the fact that the root system will outgrow the pot and you'll need to repot every year into a larger pot. That could get cumbersome.

If you plant it outside, you will either have to dig it up in the fall and risk losing some or all of it or take cuttings. I'd take lots of cuttings in case some don't make it. It will still need to have a mature enough root system before it blooms and that could be a couple of years. So you may need two or three. It's worth a try if you have the time and space.

I don't know if you could take cuttings now as the site recommended taking hardwood cuttings and I'm thinking that you currently are in the softwood stage with the new growth. I'd say to wait until you start getting a better flush of growth in March and some of the stems are hardened off. Softwood is when the bark just begins to form and hardwood is when the bark has formed.

I think what I would do is the pot 'in and out' for the seasons and still take cuttings so that I always have a back up. I would dispose of the oldest plant and still have one or two in different stages of growth, making sure that I always have one that will bloom for the season. Here's some sites on propagation that should be helpful.

http://www.landspro.com/page18.htm
http://www.landspro.com/page19.htm
http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplo...ort/g06970.htm
http://www.trelliscraft.com/propagate.htm

What do you think?
Newt