Dipladenia

Sundenia dipladenias offer the large flowers consumers love in mandevillas but on a compact, manageable plant. Flowers are 3 to 5 inches in diameter, double the size of a typical dipladenia. Colors include Red, White and Coral. Foliage is glossy green. With vigorous vining and superior branching, Sundenia can be used in beds, patio pots, hanging baskets, window boxes or even indoors as a houseplant.Use a free-draining soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.0. Fertilize with 240 ppm of a well-balanced fertilizer every other watering. Water sparingly in the winter to prevent Fusarium and Botrytis. Water sufficiently in the summer to encourage growth. Maintain temperature at 65 to 75° F. Pinching is necessary to improve branching. Wait until the plants are fairly well rooted before pinching.One liner in 4- to 5-inch pots will be ready in three months. One liner in 8- to 12-inch pots will be ready in up to eight months.Pests to watch for are aphids, thrips, whitefly, red spiders and mites.