When do you have to cut the Dipladenia? tips and guidance

Whether all year round in the apartment or in summer on the terrace or balcony, the beautiful funnel-shaped flowers of the Dipladenia inspire every plant lover. For the frost-sensitive tropical plant from Central and South America, the garden shears should be used at least once a year. After pruning, the plant will sprout vigorously again.

When to cut back the Dipladenia?

For dipladenia from the dogbane family, there is a particularly suitable time for pruning, possibly with slight deviations:

• best time for pruning: early spring
• possibly only shorten the long tendrils in autumn
• Trimming in spring

Why cut the Dipladenia?

Plants from the trade are often treated with compressing agents that dampen the growth of the stretch. If the effect of these preparations wears off, Dipladenia with a formerly squat shape undergo an enormous push upwards. If there isn't enough space, the scissors have to go. The reasons for the blending in detail:

• declining flowering
• too luxuriant growth (v. a. with room culture)
• more light and air for the individual shoots
• when changing location in autumn: Use scissors to loosen the tendrils from the climbing frame

pruning types

Experience has shown that pruning causes little or no problems, especially since the Dipladenia excretes a viscous liquid on its injuries, which dries and hardens quickly in the air. Because this juice contains antibiotic tannins and alkaloids, the plant is protected from invading germs. In the great outdoors, the milky sap is of further importance. Its bitter taste scares off birds and mammals looking for a tasty meal. Pruning measures should not be taken in summer heat, because during the main vegetation more milky sap escapes and it takes longer for the injuries to heal. Unless obstructive shoots have to give way, the plant should grow more broadly or cuttings are needed

taper cut

A pruning is due at the latest shortly before each new shoot. Flowers develop only on fresh shoots. If you don't cut, flower growth will suffer, and the twining climber will bare from below. If the plant with the scientific name Mandevilla is to keep its beautiful appearance, a makeover in the form of trimmed shoots is necessary every year.

Cut back when growing horny

During the dark season, leaves appear widely spaced on longer shoots and remain fairly small, it is about accelerated growth in length, the so-called smearing, because the plant grows in the direction of light stretches In winter, a cooler location is recommended, because heat stimulates growth, even though the minimum amount of light is missing. Allow your Dipladenia the hibernation it deserves at 5° to 10° C and reduced watering, so that it can regenerate and gather enough strength for numerous flowers in the coming season. Stray shoots are unstable and should be removed as soon as possible.

pinch

Shortening the shoot tips during the growth phase results in a more compact appearance. By restricting the tendrils somewhat in height, the plant expands in width. Pinching, as the technical term goes, creates a bushy shape.

Cut back diseased plant parts

Yellow leaves that are peeling off can be classified under biological renewal processes. In winter, dipladenia usually lose part of their foliage. Presumably, older branches are mainly affected, which will be taken into account the next time you cut them. Black dots and spots on the leaves, on the other hand, indicate sooty mold, often as a result of lice infestation, in which fungi colonize the insect excrement. You will be doing your Dipladenia a favor if you cut off and discard diseased parts of the plant immediately.

Prune plants infested with pests

Mainly during the hibernation, the Dipladenia may serve as a welcome home for spider mites as well as aphids, scale insects and mealybugs. You can defy the pests with pesticides or by spraying on a soap and alcohol solution. A radical pruning before spring also puts an abrupt end to the parasites.

Use clippings for cuttings

Green or slightly woody branches, which occur when pruning anyway, are suitable as offshoots. Cut the cuttings diagonally at the bottom and place them in a pot with well-drained soil. Pour well and cover with foil. However, some patience is required for the cuttings to take root.

Instructions for pruning

1. If you're cutting outdoors, it shouldn't rain. In dry weather, cuts heal faster.
2. Use secateurs with a sharp blade.
3. Spread newspaper under and around the plant pot if you are cutting back indoors or on wooden or natural stone terraces and balconies. Escaping milky sap causes stains on carpets, sensitive surfaces and furniture surfaces.
4. Put on garden gloves or other protective gloves. The white, sticky secretion of the Dipladenia contains toxic substances.
5. On the occasion of a rejuvenation cut, the shoots are shortened by half or up to a remaining third. Avoid tearing out the interfaces.
6. So that the plant does not grow too high, the cut can be made even more vigorously and extended to the side shoots.
7. Always position the scissors 1-2 mm above an outward-facing eye.
8. Cut dried, diseased and dead shoots right at the base.
9. With a radical cut, make sure that you leave at least two leaf buds on the main shoot.
10. If the plant gets a new pot with fresh substrate, you can also cut back long root shoots.
11. Even if you use gloves, wash your hands thoroughly after you have finished.
12. In order for the plant to recover quickly after pruning and for new shoots to sprout as quickly as possible, it needs favorable lighting conditions and temperatures that are not too cold.

What errors can occur when blending?

• blunt secateurs: no accurate cuts
• long wait after winter: late flowering
• pruning too little: tendency to bare
• Rainy weather: Risk of fungus and infection
• blazing sun: burn cuts

Should faded flowers of the Dipladenia be cut off?

The delicate scent of the flowers attracts bumblebees and bees. As soon as the insects nibble on the sugary nectar, they ensure fertilization. In the aftermath, the crop needs a lot of energy to concentrate on developing seeds in pod-like capsules. There isn't much energy left for more blossoms. The fruiting bodies must not ripen to avoid fatigue during flowering. You don't need scissors for this. Faded flowers can easily be plucked off by hand. By always removing wilted flowers, the plant will respond by producing new buds by autumn.

Learn more about pruning