Growing Mandevilla Vines Indoors

Indoor Gardening
Mandevilla Indoors

Mendevilla plants are gorgeous vines known for their lush flowers. Many people like to grow them on their balconies and patios. However, it is not always possible to grow your Mandevilla outdoors. These are not winter-hardy plants so they need warm temperatures to thrive.

Mandevilla vines require temperatures of at least 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) to thrive. It means that you cannot grow them outdoors yearlong unless you live in a warm climate. Most of the United States is not hot enough for this. It means that you will probably need to take your Mandevilla plant indoor for the winter or to grow it indoors for the whole year.

How to Grow Mandevilla Plant Indoors?

Mandevilla plants are not difficult to grow indoors, but you need to follow some guidelines. First of all, keep in mind that Mandevilla vine can take up some space. In the nature, these plants can grow up to 30 feet in height and length. Most houseplants don't grow that big but they do take some space. Keep this in mind when deciding to grow Mandevillas indoors.

You will need to take your Mandevilla vine inside before the temperatures go lower than 50 degrees F. Take your plant inside and give it plenty of space. It is important to keep your Mandevilla in a room that is warmer than 60 degrees F.

Before you take your Mandevilla inside, make sure it's free of pests. In case there are some pests, you need to get rid of them before you take your Mandevilla vine inside.

Another good practice before taking your vine indoors is to cut the plant by one third. In case your Mandevilla is too big, you can also trim it so it can fit the room without taking too much space.

If you have a greenhouse or a similar environment, perfect. This is ideal growing condition for your Mandevilla during winter. However, you may also place your plant near a sunny window, just make sure you can provide some shade for it. It is important to place your Mandevilla somewhere where it can get bright indirect light. Make sure to water it when the soil feels dry to the touch.

It is important to provide adequate light for your Mandevilla. Outdoors, they need regular fertilizing and watering. However, Mandevillas are dormant in winter so you should not worry about that. You need to cut watering in half during the dormant period. It is important that your Mandevilla stays relatively dry during this period to prevent rotting.

You may notice that your Mandevilla loses some of its leaves during winter. This is normal and it will regrow the leaves in spring, once the air warms up.

Your Mandevilla will probably not flower when it's placed indoors. Making your vine bloom requires too much artificial light so it may not be worth it. Plus, remember that your Mandevilla is dormant during winter so you should not disturb this natural process.

In the Spring

Once the temperatures rise above 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) in the spring you can move your vine back outside. Before you move your Mandevilla to the patio or balcony make sure to remove any dead leaves. Your Mandevilla plant will thrive outdoors through the summer.

You should notice that your Mandevilla develops sprouts in early spring. This is the sign that you should move it to a sunny location and, if conditions and temperatures allow, to the balcony or patio. Make sure to start fertilizing your Mandevilla every two weeks to make it thrive. Use high phosphorous plant food for fertilizing. This is a great way to make your Mandevilla grow even stronger and to produce beautiful flowers.

Photo credit: Karen

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