How to Trim a Mandevilla

The mandevilla vine is a tropical species that needs year-round warmth to thrive. In most of the U.S., it is best to grow it in a pot so you can bring it indoors when the weather chills. The flowering plant develops quickly and it only takes about three seasons for its branches to reach 30 feet in length. Thus, trimming is usually necessary to keep the plant looking tidy and rejuvenated. Prune your mandevilla as part of its winterization preparation and again in spring.

Shears

Instructions

- 1
  Pull dead and sick mandevilla leaves by hand or prune them with a pair of shears. Get that done in the fall after the blooming is over. If your plant spends summers outdoors, examine it for pests while it is still outside. Remove all infected parts before taking the pot into the house.
- 2
  Trim the vine at the end of winter or early in spring before the mandevilla breaks dormancy. Target areas crowded with old stems for thinning. Cut some of them back to the base with a pair of shears. That encourages new, healthier shoots to sprout and flower that same season. The following year, remove the old branches you retained this year to continue to renew the plant. Alternatively, cut an entire vine back to the surface if it looks neglected. A new set of stems sprouts from the base as spring progresses.
- 3
  Shorten newer stems to the length you prefer after you remove old growth. Prune them ¼ inch above a bud at a 45-degree angle.

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