ASK DIARMUID
QI have taken some cuttings from my old mandevilla plants.
They are quite big now, so do I have to pinch out the growing tip to encourage more shoots? Colin Button, by email
AWell done – that looks like a very healthy cutting. Yes, pinch out just above a pair of leaf nodes.
You could remove the top three pairs of leaves in this case.
This will encourage the production of more stems thereby creating a bushier plant.
Pinching out is something you can do again as the plant develops more stems.
I’d recommend wearing gloves as the sap can be a skin irritant.