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

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

When to cut back the Dipladenia?

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

• best time to cut: early spring
• possibly just shorten the long tendrils in autumn
• Re-cut in spring

Why cut the Dipladenia?

Commercial crops are often treated with compressing agents that dampen the growth of the stretch. If the effect of these preparations wears off, there is an enormous upward surge in dipladenia that were previously compact in shape. If there is not enough space, the scissors have to work. The reasons for the blending in detail:

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

Types of cutbacks

Experience has shown that the pruning causes little or no problems, especially since the Dipladenia excretes a viscous liquid on its injuries, which quickly dries and hardens in the air. Because this juice contains antibiotic tannins and alkaloids, the plant is protected from invading germs. In the wild, the milky sap has a further meaning. Its bitter taste pisses off birds and mammals looking for a tasty meal. When it is warm in summer, no cutting measures should be taken, because more milky sap escapes during the main vegetation and the injuries take longer to heal. Unless obstructive shoot axes have to give way, the plant should grow more in width or cuttings are required

Taper cut

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

Cut back with horny growth

If the leaves appear on longer shoots at large intervals during the dark season and remain rather small, it is about accelerated growth in length, the so-called Geiling, because the plant is in the direction of brightness stretches. A cooler location is recommended in winter, because warmth stimulates growth even though the minimum amount of light is missing. Treat your Dipladenia to the winter rest 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. Corrupted shoots are unstable and should be removed as soon as possible.

Pinching

The shortening of the shoot tips in the course of the growth phase results in a more compact appearance. As the tendrils are limited in their height, the plant expands more and more in width. Pinching, as the technical term is, creates a bushy shape.

Cut back sick parts of the plant

Yellow leaves that come off can be classified under biological renewal processes. Dipladenia usually lose some of their foliage in winter. It is likely that older branches are mainly affected and will be taken into account the next time they are cut. Black spots and spots on the foliage, on the other hand, indicate sooty mildew, often as a result of lice infestation, with fungi settling on the insect excrement. You are doing your Dipladenia a favor by cutting off diseased plant parts and disposing of them immediately.
Tip: Diseases usually only occur in waterlogged areas or in a location that is too cool or too shady.

Cut off pest-infested plants

Mainly during the winter dormancy, 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 spraying a soap and spirit solution. A radical pruning before spring also puts an abrupt end to the parasites.

Use clippings for cuttings

Green or slightly woody twigs, which arise when pruning anyway, are suitable as offshoots. Cut the cuttings diagonally at the bottom and place them in a pot with permeable soil. Pour well and cover with foil. However, it takes a little patience for the cuttings to take root.
Tip for maintaining the secateurs: Occasional oiling protects against rust and keeps the tool running smoothly.

Instructions for pruning

1. If you're cutting outdoors, it shouldn't rain. In dry weather, the cuts heal faster.

2. Use garden shears with a sharp blade.

3. Spread newspaper under and around the plant pot if you are cutting back in the apartment or on terrace and balcony floors made of wood or natural stone. Leaky milky juice causes stains on carpets, sensitive surfaces and furniture surfaces.

4. Put on gardening gloves or other protective gloves. The white, sticky secretion of Dipladenia contains toxic substances

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 stronger and extended to the side shoots.

7. Always place the scissors 1 - 2 mm above one eye pointing outwards.

8. Cut off dried, diseased and chilled shoots directly at the base.

9. When making a radical cut, make sure that you leave at least two leaf buds on the main shoot.

10. If the plant receives a new pot with fresh substrate, you can also cut back long root shoots.

11. Despite the use of gloves, wash your hands thoroughly after completing the task.

12. So that the crop recovers soon after cutting and new shoots sprout as quickly as possible, it needs favorable lighting conditions and temperatures that are not too cold.

Note: It is essential to protect yourself from the poisonous milky juice of the Dipladenia, which penetrates from open areas when cutting. Contact with sensitive skin may cause allergic reactions.

What errors can occur when intersecting?

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

Warning notice: Small children are absolutely out of place when cutting back the Dipladenia. The risk that they put poisonous parts of the plant in their mouths would be far too great.

Should faded Dipladenia flowers 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 following period, the plant needs a lot of energy in order to concentrate on the development of seeds in pod-like capsules. There is not much strength left for more flowers. The fruiting bodies must not ripen so that there is no fatigue during flowering. You don't need scissors for this. Faded flowers can be easily plucked by hand. By always removing dead flowers, the plant will react by developing new buds by autumn.