From October onwards it is usually time to bring the Dipladenia into its winter quarters. But what should you pay attention to when overwintering Dipladenia? Which mistakes can harm the plant?
The Dipladenia (Mandeville) has earned a permanent place in our gardens in recent years. Since the popular plant is not hardy, it has to go to winter quarters in good time so that it can get through the cold season well. In addition to the right time, there are also other aspects that you have to consider when overwintering Dipladenia. Would you like to overwinter your plant successfully and get it to bloom again next year? Then remember these mistakes and make sure you don't make them.
Mistake when overwintering Dipladenia: the wrong location
In order to get the Dipladenia through the winter well, the right winter quarters are crucial. However, you can make several mistakes when choosing, because the tropical plant has a lot of demands on the location. Let's take a look at what dipladenia is in winternotmag.
- Dark rooms with no or limited daylight are unsuitable for overwintering Dipladenia. If the plant doesn't get enough light, it will drop its leaves completely and sprout more sparingly or not at all the next year. Therefore, a garage or a dark basement are not suitable rooms for overwintering the Mandevilla.
- Full sun or direct sunlight doesn't have to be the case either. It is better to keep the plant away from the south window.
- The Dipladenia should under no circumstances be left warm and dry in winter. The plant cannot overwinter in the living room. It will get pests, drop leaves and in the worst case scenario it can die.
- Dipladenia doesn't like it too cold either. The temperature in the winter quarters should ideally be at least 8 degrees.
What the real winter quarters look like
The plant needs to be in a bright spot, but out of full sun. A greenhouse, a glass house or winter garden with a temperature between 8 and 12 degrees are best. Non-heated rooms such as a bright stairwell or hallway are also well suited, as long as the plant gets enough light.
In too late, out too early: determine the time
If you have oneDipladenia on the balconyor on the terrace, you must definitely note that the tropical plant is very sensitive to frost and cannot tolerate frost. Perhaps the most frequently asked question about overwintering Dipladenia concerns the right time. Many hobby gardeners often go about it the wrong way. Because the flowers still exist, you leave the plant outside longer or you stick to a specific period of time. In fact, you can't say exactly whether the plant needs to be brought in in October or November. It depends on the temperatures.
You should especially keep an eye on the nighttime temperatures. If degrees around the frost point are expected, the plant needs to be cleaned quickly. To be on the safe side, bring the plant into its winter quarters when night temperatures are expected to be below 5 degrees. This could be, for example, the beginning/mid of October or as late as November. If the weather in your region is very warm and mild and no night frosts are expected, then you can leave the Dipladenia outside until the end of the month. But get them in by the beginning of November at the latest. At 8 degrees the plant stops growing anyway - so don't necessarily wait for the first frost.
Please note:Once the plant has come to winter quarters, don't put it out again, it doesn't like that. Even if the weather becomes permanently nicer again after a low point, the plant should still stay indoors because it has already entered the dormant phase.
Another common mistake would be to put the plant outside too soon after overwintering. For tropical plants like Dipladenia, you should definitely wait until after the Ice Saints because of the risk of late frost. The new growth cannot tolerate this at all, because the young shoots are even more sensitive to frost and can die even in light frost.
Water and fertilize in winter
From October the plant goes into the dormant phase until the next spring - there is no more growth. This means it needs much less water and no nutrients at all. If the soil in the winter quarters is too moist or even wet, then this is a serious mistake that can lead to pests, diseases and even root rot. In winter you definitely have to water more sparingly, but also don't let the soil dry out completely.
You should also stop fertilizing at the beginning of October at the latest. During the dormant phase, the Dipladenia cannot process the nutrients and due to over-fertilization it can die next year.Start with fertilizer applicationsafter overwintering only in April or May.
Mistake: Not cutting back large Dipladenia before overwintering
At this point I would like to clarify something. Small plants generally do not need pruning before winter. For them, early spring is a better time for cutting. However, this is not the case with larger specimens. On the one hand, for reasons of space and on the other hand as protection against pests, large dipladenias should be cut back before moving into their winter quarters. This is how they maintain their shape and sprout beautifully next spring.
If you have oneCut Dipladenia, always wear gloves to avoid skin irritation from the latex. If you have a very large plant in a container, you can repot it before cutting it back so that it is easier to cut back and transport.
In the video you can see how to carry out a professional, strong pruning before winter.
Leave fallen leaves and flowers lying around
At first glance, this may not seem like a big mistake, but it can have dire consequences. The Dipladenia does not like to be left unchecked during the winter. Small plants lose their flowers after a while and both small and large specimens will lose more or fewer leaves. If these remain in the ground, they can rot, which promotes diseases and pests. So don't leave fallen leaves and flowers lying around, but collect them regularly.
Bonus-Tipp:All plants in the winter quarters, including the Dipladenia, will be happy if you ventilate the room regularly.
Well, if you already know the possible mistakes, you can avoid them and get your Dipladenia through the winter successfully.
