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Melinda Myers
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Gardeners love to save plants from year to year. The frost sensitive mandevilla (Dipladenia) is at the top of many gardeners’ list.
Check for insects and quarantine your plant for a few days, better yet weeks, before adding it to your indoor garden. Then grow it like your other houseplants. Place your mandevilla in front of your sunniest window and water thoroughly as the top few inches of soil begins to dry.
Don’t be alarmed if your plant starts dropping leaves as it adjusts to the new location. New leaves should soon appear. Don’t fertilize until late winter unless your plant starts producing new growth or shows signs, such as pale leaves, that it needs fertilizing.
Or store your plant in a cool, frost-free location for winter. Water your dormant plant occasionally to prevent the roots from totally drying out. In spring, move the plant to a warm sunny window, start watering regularly and fertilize with a flowering plant fertilizer.
A bit more information: The glossy green-leafed Dipladenia is often referred to and sold as Mandevilla. It is in the same family as the plant botanically named Mandevilla which has larger leaves and flowers. Both require the same basic care.