How to Garden With Alice DuPont Mandevilla

Prepare the soil by applying a good soil mix which includes 2 parts peat moss or potting soil to 1 part builder's sand. Space the plants 10 to 15 feet apart and plant in a well-drained sunny area of the garden where the plant can receive six to eight hours of sunlight a day. Place the container in a sunny area if you are putting the plant in a pot.

Dig a hole twice the width of the plant's root size and no deeper than the depth of the pot in which it was originally purchased. Remove the plant from the store-bought container and place it in the hole, spreading its roots around the soil and carefully covering the roots. Fill the hole completely with soil, tapping and pressing it down with the palm of your hand. Mix together 2 to 4 tbsp. of a 5-10-5 starter solution plant food plus root stimulator into 2 gallons of water. Water your new plant with the root stimulator solution.

Place a trellis or obelisk in the center of a large 16-inch wide container with at least four drainage holes at the bottom of the container. Insert plant and soil in the container using the same method of planting as if planting in the garden. Place container in a sunny area in the garden or on your balcony.

Water the plant infrequently since the enlarged root system of the mandevilla retains a great amount of water. Water the plants regularly in hot humid summers or when the glossy leaves start turning dull. Apply a well-balanced water soluble fertilizer every two to three weeks to the plant, following directions on package.

Check the plants occasionally for fine webbing or little white tufts of cotton covering the underside of leaves which would indicate a problem with mealy bugs or spider mites. Spray with insecticidal soap following the manufacturer's recommendations on the label.

Bring the container indoors in the fall and cut the plant back to about six inches and place it in an area where it can receive bright light and a minimal amount of water. Do not fertilize during this time and as the plant grows, pinch back scraggly branches so it can develop a bushy habit. Re-pot or replant the following spring.