The Mandevilla (Mandevilla spp.) is a colorful tropical vine that can be grown in a hanging basket or trained to grow up a trellis. Newer hybrids are small mounding plants. Mandevilla doesn’t like low temperatures, so it is usually grown as a houseplant. You may be wondering, “How do I propagate Mandevilla?”
Mandevilla has showy flowers and very desirable foliage. This guide will tell you how to propagate a Mandevilla so you can grow as many Mandevillas as you want.
How Do I Propagate Mandevilla?
Mandevilla can be grown from seeds or cuttings. Cuttings do best when taken in the spring. Seeds do best when planted in late summer. Seeds from hybrids will not breed true, so cuttings are the best way to propagate the Mandevilla.
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Different Ways to Propagate Mandevilla
Mandevilla can be propagated from seeds or cuttings. You can harvest seeds from the Mandevilla by letting the seed pods dry on the plant and harvesting them when they begin to split. Cuttings taken in the spring can be rooted to form new plants.
When to Propagate Mandevilla for Best Results
Fresh Mandevilla seeds grow best, so propagate from seed in late summer from seed pods harvested after the plant blooms. Cuttings grow best in early spring, right after the plant is pruned for the year. Sometimes, cuttings taken in the summer or early fall will root.
How Do I Propagate Mandevilla by Seed?
Most Mandevillas grown indoors are hybrids. The seeds will grow into a Mandevilla, but the plant may not look like the parent plant.
Propagating Mandevilla by seed is not difficult. Just follow the steps below.
What You Will Need
Propagation is easier when you gather your supplies ahead of time. Lay these items out on your worktable.
- Well-draining potting mix formulated for indoor plants
- A pot or hanging basket with drainage holes
- Fresh Mandevilla seeds
- Water
- Bowl for the water
How To Plant
- Soak the seeds in water overnight.
- Fill the pot two-thirds full of potting mix.
- Place the seed on top of the potting mix.
- Lightly cover the seed with soil until it is just buried.
- Water in the seed, being careful not to dislodge it from the soil.
After Care
- Place the pot in bright, indirect light.
- Keep the potting mix moist but not soggy.
- Keep the soil 65-75 degrees.
- The seeds will germinate in about a month.
How Do I Propagate Mandevilla by Cutting?
When starting a Mandevilla from a cutting, you are more likely to get a plant like the parent plant. Cuttings taken in the spring are more likely to grow than cuttings taken in the summer or fall.
What You Will Need
- Sharp shears
- A well-draining potting mix formulated for indoor plants
- A six-inch pot with drainage holes
- A parent Mandevilla plant
- Rooting hormone
- Water
Taking the Cutting
- Use very sharp shears that have been wiped down well with alcohol, so they are clean.
- Find a side shoot to cut that is about the diameter of a pencil.
- Cut a six-inch-long portion of the side shoot.
- Remove all but the top two leaves on the cutting.
How To Plant
- Fill the pot two-thirds full of potting mix.
- Poke a three-inch hole in the potting mix.
- Dip the bottom of the cutting in rooting hormone.
- Place the bottom of the cutting in the hole in the potting mix.
- Fill in the hole around the cutting with potting mix.
- Water the cutting in.
- Place more soil around the cutting if necessary.
- Water the cutting again.
After Care
- Place a plastic bag with a few small holes in it over the pot.
- Place the pot in an area with 2-6 hours of indirect light and shade the rest of the time.
- Keep the soil moist but not soggy.
- Roots should develop in about a month.
- Remove the plastic bag once the roots develop.
- Gradually increase the indirect light the plant receives.
- The Mandevilla should be placed in bright, indirect light after acclimating to the light.
Can I Propagate Mandevilla in Water?
No, you cannot use water instead of soil to start your cuttings. This is because the cuttings need soil to root.
Can I Propagate Mandevilla from Tubers?
No, while you can propagate many plants from their tubers, the Mandevilla isn’t one of them.
Continuing After Care
After your Mandevilla is rooted, you will need to provide some things to keep it happy.
Light
Mandevilla requires bright, indirect light. They do not do well in the shade. In addition, direct light will burn the plant. For more details about how much light Mandevilla need, read my article here.
Temperature
Since Mandevilla are tropical plants, they like to be above 70 degrees during the day and 60-65 degrees at night. Mandevilla is sensitive to cold. Make sure it is not in any drafts or too near a vent.
Humidity
Mandevilla likes high humidity. You can mist the leaves in the morning or set the plant on a pebble tray. To make a pebble tray, put pebbles in a saucer. Fill the saucer until just the tops of the rocks are dry. Set the Mandevilla’s pot on top of the pebbles. As the water evaporates, it increases the humidity around the plant. Refill the water in the pebble tray regularly.
Water
Keep the soil around the Mandevilla moist but not soggy. When you water, soak the pot until water runs out of the drainage holes. Wait about fifteen minutes and remove any water from the pot’s saucer. You will have to water hanging baskets more frequently because they typically hold less soil, so the soil dries out faster.
Fertilizer
In the spring and summer, use a water-soluble fertilizer formulated for indoor plants. Fertilizers high in phosphorus, such as a 10-20-10, will help your Mandevilla produce more blossoms. Use the fertilizer every two weeks. Do not fertilize in the fall and winter.
Pruning
In early spring, cut the Mandevilla back to the ground. The vines will grow quickly and bloom on the new wood. You can pinch the growth tips to make the plant bushier.
In conclusion, Mandevilla can be propagated by seed or cutting. If the seeds come from a hybrid variety of Mandevilla, the new plant may not look like its parent. However, cuttings will produce a plant like the parent in most cases.
