Rio dipladenia - Ask Extension
Hi there, I bought a Rio dipladenia plant in summer of 2018, it was blooming beautifully all summer. I took the plant inside for winter, did not cut ...
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Rio dipladenia #601403
Asked October 08, 2019, 6:38 AM EDT
Hi there, I bought a Rio dipladenia plant in summer of 2018, it was blooming beautifully all summer. I took the plant inside for winter, did not cut anything, was watering to keep moist inside... It overwintered indoors, lost all blooms and most leaves, but leafed out by spring of 2019. However no blooms at all in the summer of 2019... I took the plant outside into very bright warm sunny location, watered and fertilized, lots of new long gangly shoots, no blooms still... Now this fall and winter, should i trim it low and still hope 4 blooms next summer or should i just discard the plant? I love the blooms, but it looks like an annual plant with no flowers after just one season... The picture is from summer of 2018... Thank you!
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
According to growers, ;the plant should over-winter and recover in the spring. Here is their link: https://www.fernlea.com/riodipladeniaplantcare.html
Does it bloom on new wood, do you know? Should i cut it to the ground like group 3 clematis, for example? How do i make it bloom? Thank you!
If you read through the information in the link, they do not mention cutting it back but treating it like a houseplant. This is in the link: . Place your Rios close to a window that receives all-day sunlight. Make sure the temperature remains above 7 degrees C or 45 F. Dipladenias only need watering when the top 5 cm (2 inches) of soil begin to dry. Some foliage may die, but your Rios should produce new foliage in spring. Rio dipladenias come pre-fertilized but plants that have been over-wintered can be fertilized once in May and once in August, with slow-release 18-6-12 fertilizer. Do not fertilize during winter as dipladenias' natural rest period lasts from October to April.
Thank you, i used miracle gro this season, but i will try more phosphorus fertilizer next spring to try to hopefully boost blooms; as judging from healthy foliage, the plant gets enough nitrogen... Only six more months to the next growing season
Miracle Grow promotes greenery at the expense of blooms/fruit. Use a granular fertilizer instead with the recommended percentages. If you can't find the exact formula, use something similar with a 3-1-2 formula.
Thank You Barbara!!!
