My Son Gave Me A Red Fury Mandevilla For Mother’s…
Shirley Asked
My son gave me a red fury mandevilla for Mother’s Day. Other than what’s on the card I’m clueless how to care for this flower. I plan on putting it in a large pot on the deck in full sun and let the vine run on a trellis. Other than that I don’t know how to care for it.
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Shirley in Kentucky: Mandevilla is considered a tropical vine for those of us gardening in Kentucky. ‘Red Fury’ is a variety that produces intense red blooms all summer long. It will thrive when planted in a container or the garden where it will receive a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight. These tropicals like their soil to be moderately moist but never sopping wet. In the heat of the summer you will need to water your vine every day if grown in a container. It sounds like you have the perfect situation for your vine to grow. It will likely reach 3-4 feet in one growing season. It can get to 10 feet where it can be grown year-round, but since our growing season is much shorter than zones 9-11 it will not get to be this large. You can feed your vine with your favorite fertilizer every couple of weeks to encourage blooms. A well-balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 is fine, or a fertilizer with a higher potassium is fine as well. As with any fertilizer, it is important to follow recommended application rates since too much food can have the reverse effect in terms of flowers. If you choose to use a granular food you will not need to feed as often as a water-soluble one.
