I'm not particularly smart and have lost my share of plants..but the mandevilla and the bouganvilla do fine in our greenhouse. I would suppose that they would do about as well wintered in the house with good light and regular watering..no fertilizer. One thing..I cut them back severely before bringing them in..they go totally dormant and look dead..so don't throw them away! Bring them back out in the spring and they should take off again. I've had mine about 5-6 years doing this.

Thanks Kaye! The local nursery has them on sale for $5.00 & I wanted one but didn't want to get one & then have it die. Now, I can get one without the guilt!

I kept mine in a room that was 60 degrees and min light. Went dormant but is blooming beautiful now. Judy

I kept mine in a warmer room than Judy and they (2) did suffer some from drier air, but I had them under a shop light, so they stayed green and kept on vining up around the chains that I have to suspend the light on. I had cut them back as Kaye said, but they didn't want to stay that way. I had to cut over and over again during the winter. I took 6 cuttings as insurance...guess what happened?..Yep, had to get rid of 6 rooted cuttings that were trying to bloom. This winter if I don't take cuttings the old plants will probably die.

Can you just shear them back and stick them in the garage or is that too cold? The one on my front porch is a show stopper right now. By far the best looking plant in my yard except maybe my 'Cherry Parfait that Kaye helped me pick out.

I think an unheated garage would be too cold. My neighbor lost hers in an unheated entry/mudroom that gets closed off at night, but it probably depends on how bad the winter is.

So how short should they be cut back?

Ron buried some deep in the ground after cutting them back..wintered just fine with the elephant ear bulbs. Beerhog has wintered them several ways.

Duh..I had BRUGS on the brain when I posted that!

Now Kaye that's funny!!!! Sounds like something I would do!!! I'm laughing with you

Hey, maybe it would work!

Might be worth a try.

Now, i'm wondering if the parts you cut off can be rooted? anyone ever try?

I answered this under "wintering mandevillas", but here goes again.
A lady here in Greenville, Texas has had beautiful Mandevillas the last 3-4 yrs. I have lost 2-3 in the last 2-3 yrs. I finally stopped one day and ask her if she bought new ones every year or what. She said it was the same plants every year. Right before the first freeze she cuts them down to about 3-6 " above the soil. She puts them in her dark garage and waters about once a month. She said the only heat they get is when she uses her car and pulls into the garage about once or twice a week. She brings them out in Feb. or Mar. and has to cut the new growth off and out they go again. I am trying it this year. We have had several freezes and I went out in my garage last week and I have new vines coming up. I don't put my car in so they have not had any heat. Hope it keeps working.

We planted our Mandevilla in the ground...we live in New Jersey...can we leave it there in the winter?

Strange to see this thread come back after 3 years--LOl--glad to report the vine I asked about is still thriving after these years--and doing great.
If your weather is like ours here in the Ozarks-I doubt they would make it in the winter--my daughter lost her's planted outside.

This is my first year with a Mandeville plant. I love it and would like to try saving it for next year. I live in Michigan (zone 5).Can anyone tell me the best way to winterize my plant in this zone?

Definately fell in love with this one.....Crimson Mandevilla....$2.50 at Wal-mart......8" pot.....WANT TO KEEP THIS....Thanks in advance....

And--my Mandevilla Vine that I asked the Question on? Still going, by putting it in the dark garage overwinter--and watering when I think of it!!

Yours has been going a long time now Ceresone. You must be doing it right.
I had one for about five years but brought it in too late one year and lost it.
I've been tempted to watch the clearance shelves for another. They're so pretty.

I would like to pass on my experience with wintering in a garage that is insulated to the latest building code, whereby any snow on the cars is melted off by the morning. This is nice for the drive to work, but terrible for any bulbs or potted rhizomes you may have wintering in the garage. The dampness got to them and caused them to decay, what a mushy surprise the next spring.The basement is definitely the place to winter these.
As for wintering plants, I have had success with my fig tree, which is just starting to put on new leaves, hooray! I also have a bay leaf that kept growing the whole time, right through the coldest nights. My passion flower on the other hand may have got to cold and just died one day, mind you it was an older plant that gave me many cuttings.Perhaps I should have cut it back? Perhaps a plastic cover, as I put over the fig tree, may have saved it? Overall, I would suggest that as long as they are protected from any cold drafts, and you give them a little drink once a month, you should be fine...good luck.

My Mandeliva vine still growing after all this time

I hope to come back to this forum before winter comes.
I'll read up on the wintering of my mandevilla.
Meantime, I'm going to try the trick of tucking a few of the vines back into the dirt. Maybe I can get a new plant!
This thread is 5 years old, but, just as we all hope our plants don't die, I see that the enthusiasm hasn't died off either.
This has always been the place for the best advice, and I thank you all. Have a great summer!

This is my first year with my beautiful vines.I live in the Houston, TX area and was wondering what I should do this winter so I don't lose them. It is now mid-October. Any suggestions appreciated.

In zone 10 your vine should do fine. If it's in a pot don't let it drowned. Soggy roots are the biggest difficulty I have in zone 9. Shelter from frost and minimal water is what I do. It is slow to start up in spring so I leave it alone until night temperatures warm.

I brought my mandevilla in this winter before the first frost. However, all the leaves are dry or dead and the vines are kind of dry as well. I did not cut back the plant before I brought it in. Do you think it'll come back in the spring? This is my first ever buying one and I would like to keep it.

I think it will come back. They are tropical so will not start to move until we are well into spring. Last year I started digging out dead tropicals and kept finding tiny sprouts at the bottom of the stems so be patient. I have one small leaf type but I am really hooked on the Mandevilla Alice du Pont. I have two and that may not be enough. I can't wait to grow something. Looking at pictures only makes it harder to wait for spring.
{{gwi:431100}}

This is my first attempt at a mandevilla wintering. I live in the mountains of western NC. First frost is predicted to head our way so she came inside but I've not cut her back yet. She has gorgeous dark red velvet blooms and we will have warm weather yet so mid Nov I will cut and try your suggestions for the winter. Thank you for all your info on this forum.

Wow! what an amazing thread for such a beautiful plant, from my experience and what ive seen is that these do fine-- given light-- not cut back at all maybe for height and space convenience near a bright window, preferably south, and it will bloom still, not as much but still something to make you smile in december and january. Then once your area starts to get warm and nights are above 55-65, watch this thing take off! and pinch back for blooms if you like

I live in zone 6. I have kept a thermometer n the mudroom and in a basement room. Mudroom has been about 50 degrees but it's been a really warm fall (will get to 40 probably soon) and 60 in the basement. I think both are not right. What the opinion out there? Have 3 plants, cut them back, etc. but move them back and forth. So far not really growing but not dead or, I think, not dormant either.

Looking for advice...first time trying to winter this and just brought it up from the basement..I didn't cut it back in the fall and now it has approx 3 super long green shoots coming off of the old ones..should I cut off most of the old stuff or just leave it and see what happens?

I have the same plant and it said on the lable take it inside when it gets very cold. So I took it in side and now half the plant leavea r drying out and the blooms. What do I do?