Garden Care Guide

Mandevilla Care

Mandevilla sanderi

A tropical vine that produces tubular pink-red flowers all summer. It does not tolerate frost; in cold regions it is grown in a pot and brought indoors in winter.

Frost-tender (protect from frost)

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 5 °C.
February
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 5 °C.
March
  • Pruning: Prune just before the shoots break. Because flowers form on this year's new shoots, hard pruning increases flowering. At the end of winter, shorten the branches by one third; the milky sap can be irritating, so use gloves.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 5 °C.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water every 15 days. Water newly planted plants more often than established plants during the first year; the root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
May
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water once a week. Water newly planted plants more often than established plants during the first year; the root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • General care: Suitable period for planting and transplanting. Flowering begins. Apply mulch 5-7 cm thick over the root zone; it conserves soil moisture and suppresses weeds. Do not press mulch against the stem. Drainage is critical for this plant. In heavy, water-retaining soil, plant on a mound or bed raised 20-30 cm; the root collar should remain above the surrounding soil level.
June
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. The area around the roots should be wetted to a depth of 20-30 cm.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for cottony white clusters in the leaf axils (mealybugs). Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density.
July
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. The area around the roots should be wetted to a depth of 20-30 cm.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for cottony white clusters in the leaf axils (mealybugs). In hot, dry weather, look for fine webbing and stippled yellowing on the undersides of the leaves (spider mites). Washing the leaves during cool hours reduces the population. Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density.
August
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. The area around the roots should be wetted to a depth of 20-30 cm.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for cottony white clusters in the leaf axils (mealybugs). In hot, dry weather, look for fine webbing and stippled yellowing on the undersides of the leaves (spider mites). Washing the leaves during cool hours reduces the population. Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water once a week.
  • Fertilizing: Make this month's feeding the last of the season; afterward, the plant needs to prepare for winter.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water every 15 days.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
November
  • General care: In winter rains, make sure water does not pool in the root zone; for this plant, drainage is more critical than irrigation.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 5 °C.
December
  • General care: Evergreen leaves continue to lose water in winter. Water thoroughly once before the soil freezes.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 5 °C.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

Want reminders for every plant in your garden? Our garden-care app with monthly task lists and frost alerts is currently available in Turkish; the English version is on the way.

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