How to acclimate bougainvillea for a higher survival rate

1. Tidying up

After receiving the purchased seedling, carefully open its packaging, preferably with a sharp tool rather than tearing it open by hand with force. If it was purchased from far away, the roots will have loosened during transport, and tearing the packaging open may cause it further damage. After taking it out, divide the seedling into several portions, remove the rotten or withered leaves on top, and let the seedling spread out naturally. Depending on its specific shape, decide whether it needs pruning.

2. Spraying water

1. After taking it out, sprinkle some water on its branches and leaves, place it in a relatively humid and fairly bright area, and let it sit for one to two hours. Wait until the branches and leaves have absorbed some water and recovered before moving on to the next step.

2. If it was shipped in a pot, do not loosen the soil or repot it for now. If the soil has already dried out, add a little water first to moisten it, and likewise place it in a sufficiently humid and bright area for care. Wait until the branches and leaves are upright, then water it thoroughly. After two or three days, it can be exposed to sunlight and given normal care. When watering it, you can mix in some fertilizer. Once its growth has returned to normal, you can put it into a new pot.

3. If it was shipped with very little soil on the roots, it will generally drop its leaves. Spray it with water, and you can add some rooting powder to the water. Then pot it and place it in a sufficiently humid and bright area to acclimate. You can cover it with a bag to retain moisture, but be careful about ventilation. After three to five days, remove the bag and gradually increase the light intensity.

3. Potting

Do not add fertilizer to the soil used for potting it, and do not use pots and soil that other flowers have used. The soil must be sufficiently breathable and allow water to drain through. Try not to use peat; if you do use it, use a smaller pot. After potting, once the seedling has resumed growth, you can give it some dilute fertilizer, preferably by adding some fertilizer to the water, to ensure vigorous growth. If its crown has not yet grown out, do not give it too much water, otherwise the soil staying too wet for a long time will rot its roots. If the newly purchased seedling has grown flower buds, remove them to ensure nutrition for the branches and leaves.