Dipladenia Bella (Mandevillea x sanderi): advice on growing

Easy to grow, requiring only limited maintenance, the cultivars of the ‘Bella’ series offer their exceptional blooms throughout the beautiful season. In a compact version to decorate a balcony, this plant also finds its place to decorate trellises and pergolas in its climbing version. Something to satisfy all gardeners!

Characteristics

Soil: drained, rather dry
Spread: 50 cm
Planting: in May
Flowering: from May to October
Exposure: sun
Use: open ground and pot
Height: 35 to 1.20 cm depending on the variety

Culture

The new dipladénias of the ‘Bella’ series have been selected for their extraordinary floridity. Covering themselves with star flowers, these new varieties, very appreciated for their generous development, are declined from white with ‘White’, to pink with ‘Pink’ and ‘Pink Star’ a little darker and marked by a pale pink star in its heart, passing through red with the sumptuous ‘Red Compact’. The latter presents an ideal bushy habit in pots, while the other cultivars are more talkative and can be trained along a wall on a trellis. Easy to grow, requiring only limited maintenance, the dipladénias of the ‘Bella’ series ensure the show from May to October without weakening!

• Wait until all risks of frost have been ruled out in the spring to plant the dipladenia ‘Bella’ because it is cold. Moreover, it can only be grown in the ground in regions with very mild winters. In the ground, it appreciates a light, well-drained soil and full sun to flower well. In the southernmost regions, it tolerates partial shade at the hottest hours of the day, especially when grown along a south-facing facade.
• For planting in the ground, soak the root ball in a basin of water for half an hour. Meanwhile, dig a hole twice the size of the root ball in all directions. Pour at the bottom a mixture of sand and decomposed compost then install the dipladénia so that its collar is flush with the surface of the soil. Fill the hole and tamp the base of the plant before watering copiously. In soil, the waterings will be regular the time to ensure the recovery, then let dry the soil on the surface between two waterings.
• In pots, choose a container pierced at the bottom to ensure water drainage. Make a layer of clay balls, then fill the pot with a mixture of potting soil and river sand to which a handful of dried blood will have been added. Install the plant in the pot before filling the gaps with this substrate. Pack and water. This plant does not require very much water, however, in a pot, the substrate dries very quickly. During the beautiful season, water when the mixture dries on the surface on 3 cm and never leave water in the cup. Add liquid fertilizer ‘Special flowering plants’ every 15 days to support flowering.
• Not very hardy, dipladenia can only be grown in the ground all year round in regions where frost does not prevail, elsewhere it is necessary to winter it in a frost-free room. In this case, it will only be watered when the substrate is almost completely dry.

Use

The dipladenia ‘Bella’ offers a multitude of possibilities both in the garden and on a terrace or balcony. The variety ‘Red compact’, very resistant to the scorching sun and presenting a stocky habit (35 cm in height) finds its place in a pot on a balcony or a terrace, or even in suspension in the company of annuals. The varieties ‘White’, ‘Pink’ and ‘Pink Star’, more talkative (1.50m), will be trained along a facade, a pergola, or a fence.