How to grow Bougainvillea from seed? A detailed guide to cultivation methods

Many friends choose to grow their favorite plants at home, and bougainvillea is a good choice. In recent years, many friends have grown a pot of it, not only because its flowers are beautiful, but also because they greatly admire its spirit of fearing no hardship and persevering, which is very worth learning from. Below, the editor introduces its seed-growing methods and cultivation techniques.

How to grow bougainvillea from seed

1. Seed treatment: remove the seed shells (peel off the dried floral tubes), soak in potassium permanganate solution for 10 minutes to disinfect (disinfecting the seeds is very necessary; they are almost never troubled by mold).

2. Start sowing. For the sowing soil, loose soil is best. It is best not to use only garden soil; a mix of garden soil + nutrient soil can be used. The garden soil should preferably be disinfected. Based on sowing by flower enthusiasts, loose and breathable media have a higher germination rate than garden soil.

3. Cover with 0.5 cm of soil. Generally, bougainvillea takes about 10 days to 40 days from sowing to germination; some cycles are relatively long, so flower enthusiasts need to be patient. Based on the sowing situations of flower enthusiasts, the germination rate is generally quite good; the high end can reach about 80%, and even the low end can be 20%.

Bougainvillea cultivation methods

1. Habits

Bougainvillea is a tropical plant. It likes a high-temperature and high-humidity climate environment, and is also relatively tolerant of dry heat and drought. It is not cold-tolerant and avoids frost; the winter temperature must not be lower than 3-7°C. The optimum temperature for growth is 15°C, and the optimum temperature during the flowering period is 15—30°C. Bougainvillea is a sun plant and requires sufficient light; with sufficient light, it produces more flowers. It is not strict about soil, tolerates poor and dry soil, and avoids waterlogging. A loose, fertile sandy loam is most suitable.

2. Propagation

Use the cutting method. Greenhouse cuttings can be taken from January to March; select full, mature branches and insert them into a sand bed. At a room temperature below 25°C, they root in about 1 month, and after rooting they can be potted. If cuttings are taken outdoors, they can be done after the flowers fade. Treating with 20 mg/L IBA for 24 hours promotes rooting of the cuttings. For varieties that are difficult to root from cuttings, grafting or air layering can be used for propagation.

3. Management

During cultivation, pinch back frequently to form a clustered and low plant shape. A support can also be set up to let it climb upward. Bougainvillea is a light-loving plant. Whether grown indoors or outdoors, it should be placed or cultivated in a place with sufficient sunlight. Repot before sprouting in spring. Water promptly in summer and during the flowering period, and appropriately reduce watering after flowering. For daily watering, follow the principle of “alternating dry and wet.” Apply fertilizer once during the slow growth period, once every half month during the vigorous growth period, and apply phosphate fertilizer several more times during the flowering period. During the flowering period, there are many fallen flowers and leaves, so clean them up promptly to keep the plant neat and beautiful. After flowering, carry out shaping and pruning, adjust the tree vigor, cut off dead branches, dense branches, diseased and weak branches, and branch tips, to encourage more robust new branches and ensure abundant flowering. After about 5 years, it can be heavily pruned and renewed once. In winter, control watering so the plant goes fully dormant; then in the coming spring and summer, the flowers will be even more abundant and colorful.

Reasons for bougainvillea leaves turning yellow

1. Water yellowing: the top young leaves of the plant appear light yellow and wilted, while the old leaves are dark yellow. If you pick off a wilted leaf by hand and crumple it into a ball, it does not rot; when unfolded, it still returns to its original shape. The cause is long-term waterlogging and dampness, lack of oxygen in the soil, and the roots beginning to rot.

2. Drought yellowing: the color of the new leaves at the top center of the plant is normal, while the lower old leaves gradually turn dry yellow upward, curl, and fall off. The cause is not watering thoroughly for a long time, not loosening the soil, soil compaction, and a large amount of water evaporating, causing the plant to lack water and leading to aging of the lower branches and leaves.

3. Fertilizer yellowing: applying too much or too concentrated fertilizer will cause the leaves to turn yellow.

4. Starvation yellowing: the cause is that the plant is large and the pot is small, and the pot and nutrient soil have not been changed for many years, so the fibrous roots are densely tangled and aged.

Methods to solve leaf yellowing

1. If it is caused by water yellowing, stop watering, loosen the soil more, let the water evaporate, and on the premise of not damaging the roots, dig out part of the soil and fill in dry nutrient soil, or bury highly hygroscopic substances in the pot, such as absorbent paper, chalk, sponge, or cotton yarn, replacing them once every 4 days.

2. If it is caused by drought yellowing, place it in half shade, water a little, and at the same time loosen the cracks on the pot wall so water can drain from the gaps.

3. If it is caused by fertilizer yellowing, stop watering to control it, and place the flower pot in a shaded place to reduce soil moisture, which can regulate the release of fertilizer effects. If it is caused by applying chemical fertilizer, repot and change the soil promptly. First remove all leaves, and after replanting, water appropriately, watering little but frequently, and manage it in half shade. After new leaves sprout, return to normal care.

4. If it is caused by starvation yellowing, fertilize promptly to increase nutrients. If conditions permit, water with liquid decomposed fertilizer to help it recover its growth ability.

Growing bougainvillea requires a lot of time and energy, which is also a test for everyone. We should learn from the spirit of bougainvillea: even in the cold winter it does not fear the cold and shows everyone its best side. Even a small plant can persevere and work hard like this, so what are the small difficulties we encounter during planting?