If you want to multiply your Dipladenia or Mandevilla yourself, you have several options. None of them are complicated, we explain exactly how to do it.
The Dipladenia, or Mandevilla, is a popular permanent bloomer. So it is not surprising that hobby gardeners like to grow the plants themselves. The good news: it is not difficult to propagate dipladenia. What options there are for this and what you have to do is described below. You basically have the choice of how you want to propagate your Dipladenia. You can choose between propagation by cuttings, layering or seeds.
Propagate Dipladenia with cuttings
Propagation by cuttings takes place in spring. The cuttings are cut from the young shoots just below a leaf node. The cutting should be about eight to ten centimeters long. After the lower leaves have been removed, the cutting can be placed in a planter. A peat-sand mixture has proven to be the ideal substrate. Putting a plastic hood over the cutting can encourage rooting. A sunny location is advantageous. The temperature should be around 25 degrees. The plant is watered moderately until the first shoots appear. The soil should appear only slightly moistened. It is therefore advisable not to work with the watering can, but to spray the substrate regularly with water. It can take a few months for the plant to develop a stable root system. Then it is time to transfer the Dipladenia to a larger planter and continue cultivating it in a bright and warm location.
Propagation by cuttings at a glance:
➀ Best time: Spring➁ Cut shoots below the leaf knot
➂ Length: about ten centimetres
➃ Root the cuttings in a sand-peat mixture
➄ Remove the lower leaves➅ Plastic hood for protection and faster rooting
➆ Location: bright, not full sun
➇ Temperature: around 25 degrees
Tips for successful propagation by cuttings
Propagation by cuttings can be combined with pruning the plant in spring.The shoots are always cut directly below the leaf node.
➞ Tip: Wear gloves when cutting the cuttings. All parts of the plant are poisonous. The escaping sap can cause skin irritation.
The cuttings should be cut with a sharp knife. To encourage rooting, the cuttings can be dipped in rooting powder. Willow water serves the same purpose. The cutting needs consistently high temperatures to grow. The required tropical climate can be achieved with a mini greenhouse or a propagation box that can be heated. There are also ideal conditions if the cutting is given a plastic bag closed with a rubber band as a hood. To avoid mold, the plastic hood should be ventilated regularly.
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Increase Dipladenia by lowering
Propagation by lowering proves to be quite uncomplicated. The chances of success are comparatively high and the method is simple and can therefore also be carried out by laypersons. In order to multiply the Dipladenia, another planter is set up next to the planter. The pot is filled with a suitable substrate. A strong shoot from the Dipladenia is selected and directed into the separate plant pot. The sinker is lightly scored in the middle and covered with substrate.
So that the shoot does not slip out of the ground, it is a good idea to weigh it down with stones. The sinker is not completely covered with substrate. The tip should still be visible. The plant pot is now left in this location until strong roots have developed. After about a year, the offshoot can be separated from the mother plant and is now an independent plant with its own stable root system.
What is important when propagating through layering?
✔ Choose strong shoots
✔ Cover the planter well with soil
✔ Water the planter regularly
✔ Planter needs time for rooting
Propagate Dipladenia with seeds
Sowing is another way of propagation. If you want to be on the safe side here, you should use commercially available seeds. Due to the extensive species diversity of the plants, the properties of the seed cannot be predicted 100%, as most commercially available Mandevilla areHybrids.
The best planting time is spring. The seeds are sown in suitable planters between March and April. The germination temperature should be at least 25 degrees. To ensure this, a microclimate can be created by covering it with a plastic hood. To keep the seeds from getting moldy, air them every two to three days. The planters with the seeds are placed in a bright but not full sun location. After the first shoots have appeared, prick out the strongest young plants. From now on, a cover can be dispensed with. After the plants have been repotted, they are grown in a bright and warm location. From early summer the plantlets can be accustomed to a summer location outdoors.
Dipladenia propagation by seed in keywords
- Select seed
- Place seeds in planters
- Plastic hood supports germination
- Keep seeds evenly moist but not too wet
- place in a bright and warm place
- Minimum temperature - 25 degrees
- Prick out and transplant after germination
Propagating Dipladenia: advantages and disadvantages
| Propagation method | Advantages | Cons |
| Cuttings | » Propagation by cuttings is easy and quite safe. » The cuttings fall off when existing plants are cut back. | » The cuttings require constant high temperatures to germinate. » It may take some time before strong roots form and the plants grow and flower. |
| Lowerer | » It doesn't take much effort to use this method of propagation. » The chances of success are very high. | » A second planter must be set up. » Patience is required until an independent plant has developed. |
| Seeds | » Sowing is easy. » The seeds germinate quite quickly. | » Constantly high temperatures are needed for germination. » The seedlings have to be pricked out and then repotted. |