How to Grow Bougainvillea? A Complete Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions

Cultivate in loose, fertile, slightly acidic soil, with an optimal growing temperature of 15-20 degrees, no less than 8 hours of sunlight daily, plus proper watering, fertilizing, and reasonable pruning. Note that the winter temperature should not drop below 5 degrees to avoid frost damage and leaf drop; during the growing season it should be placed in a spot with ample sunlight to avoid affecting bud formation and blooming; water without waterlogging to avoid root rot; fertilize without concentrated or raw fertilizer to prevent root damage.

I. Cultivation Methods for Bougainvillea

1. Soil: Bougainvillea prefers loose, fertile, slightly acidic soil. For potted cultivation, use 1 part each of leaf mold, peat soil, sandy soil, and garden soil, mixed with a small amount of decomposed cake residue to make the growing medium; alternatively, use 4 parts humus soil, 4 parts garden soil, and 2 parts sand to prepare the growing medium.

2. Temperature: Bougainvillea prefers a warm climate, with an optimal growing temperature of 15-20 degrees Celsius. In summer it can tolerate high temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius; in winter it should be maintained at no lower than 5 degrees Celsius, can overwinter safely above 3°C, and can bloom only above 15°C.

3. Light: Bougainvillea prefers sunlight. Except that newly potted seedlings should first be placed in semi-shade, the winter light duration must not be less than 8 hours, and in other seasons the daily light duration should be controlled at around 9 hours.

4. Watering: Bougainvillea has a high water demand. In summer, water once each morning and evening; in spring and autumn, water once a day; in winter, control watering, water only when the potting soil is dry, and water thoroughly when watering; also frequently spray water on the leaves and surroundings to increase air humidity.

5. Fertilizing: Bougainvillea should be fertilized appropriately during the growing period to ensure sufficient nutrients. From April to July, apply liquid fertilizer once every 7-10 days; the fertilizer can be 10%-20% decomposed soybean cake, rapeseed cake water, or human waste water, etc.; starting in August, apply fertilizer once every 10 days, mainly phosphorus fertilizer, using 20% decomposed chicken, duck, and pigeon manure and fish scraps, etc. as liquid fertilizer; from October to mid-November, apply fertilizer mainly of phosphorus fertilizer once every half month, with a fertilizer water concentration of 30%-40%; thereafter, after each flowering, apply an additional topdressing once.

6. Pruning: During the growing period of bougainvillea, pay attention to shaping and pruning. The number of prunings is generally 1-3 times. After each flowering, promptly remove spent flowers, and after the flowering period, thin out overly dense branches, inner branches, leggy branches, and weak branches.

II. Precautions for Growing Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is not cold-tolerant, and the winter temperature must not be lower than 5 degrees to avoid frost damage and leaf drop; it is a sun-loving flower, and during the growing season it should be placed in a spot with ample sunlight for care to avoid affecting bud formation and blooming; bougainvillea is averse to waterlogging, and watering must not cause water accumulation to avoid root rot and death; bougainvillea should be fertilized reasonably, without concentrated or raw fertilizer, to prevent root damage; when the plant grows slowly or is dormant, fertilization should be stopped to avoid fertilizer damage.