Well, among my favourites, the DIPLADENIAS stand out when this season of the year arrives.
Just in the beginning of summer, they continue to display their beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers without skimping on beauty. Colours with different shades of pink, red and white, mainly, are the main colours on the façades and balconies of many homes.

I have placed them at the entrance of my house, with a structure for them to climb and all my guests comment on the welcome received by this jewel.

It is also very clean. It doesn´t throw a lot of leaves or flowers. Can I ask for more?

At Rachel&Co, we have several growers who work with great care with Dipladenia. Specialised according to format, they ensure that we offer the market an almost perfect plant, very well finished.

In fact, several of them have the -lou lou®- quality distinction. They are worthy of this prestigious seal thanks to the work carried out by expert hands that listen to their needs and comply with the values defended by the brand.

There are many varieties. For me the best is the purest, the Dipladenia Sanderi. This is a very  disease resistant plant with no loss of merit in flowering. The usual flower colour is pink or white.

From there, there are countless varieties (bella, sundeville, rio, amabilis, …) and colours ranging from red, pink, orange-red and white. Vibrant colours, more or less large flowers, leaves with more or less brightness, size and hardness…

The choice of variety is up to you. Once you have decided … What do you do to make them flower tirelessly well into autumn?

Dipladenia is a very easy plant to look after, as long as you take care of a few obligations:

• Temperature: This is an important factor to take into account. It is a plant from Central and South America. Its ideal temperature is between 15º and 29º C, but if it drops below 7ºC, it can die. This is why its location outdoors is crucial.
• Location: It is an outdoor plant, but it can adapt perfectly well to indoors if it is in a place with plenty of natural light and out of draughts or out of reach of heaters and air conditioners.

It should be borne in mind that, if it is indoors, winter will not affect it much, as it can be protected from frost. If you have it planted in the garden, you can look for a place where you can protect it from the cold when low temperatures arrive or protect it from winter winds.

It will also be unhealthy if you stress it by keeping it in full sun all day. A semi-shade will do it wonders and it will thank you with a great green leaf and lots of brightly coloured flowers.

• Watering: To avoid the proliferation of fungus, if the plant is in a pot, it is preferable to always water it from above without wetting either the leaves or the flowers. As it withstands lack of humidity well, especially if it is an adult, try to water it only when the peat is dry, i.e. the surface of the peat should be dry to 2 or 3 fingers. Depending on the heat, I recommend watering every 2 days in summer and every 12-15 days in winter. When in flower, try to keep the peat moist and well drained at all times.
• Substrate: This plant requires a nutrient-rich and well-drained substrate. Mixing peat with coco fibre or sand will help to achieve a top mix.
• Feeding: As soon as the first flower appears, the Dipladenia appreciates a little liquid fertiliser every 15 days until it stops flowering. This will help the flowering to proliferate and keep it at a minimum until the change of season in autumn. If you live in a warm climate, you can have flowers till winter by following this guideline.
• Pruning: I advise pruning after the winter which leaves a lot of dry, ugly leaves. This will help it to branch out well when the sap is reawakened and it will resurface strongly.
• Repotting: If your Dipladenia is in a pot, autumn is the time to repot it. It develops its roots quickly, so if you move it to a very large pot it will focus on developing its roots a lot and what we always want is to grow the height of the plant. Renewing the peat will also help you to achieve this effect momentarily.

Among the most common diseases of Dipladenia are whitefly and red spider mite, which can be controlled with Neem oil, and mealybug, which I advise you to eliminate one by one or using potassium soap. If you need help with treatments, let me know and I will advise you.

With all these recommendations, do you still think it is a difficult plant to take care of?

I would finally mention that, as it is a climbing plant, you can guide it as you wish. Imagine making a porch in an entrance, covering a fence, letting it cover your floor or hang over balconies, all with an evergreen plant that when the good weather arrives floods you with flowers. It´s amazing!

Do you already have some at home? Which variety have you chosen?

Do you have any recommendations for further learning?

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