A bougainvillea raised for 16 years fell over; master cuttings to let it branch out and flourish
Recently I saw a flower friend post on Moments, saying that the bougainvillea they had raised at their doorstep for 16 years fell over when a typhoon and rainstorm hit at the summer solstice. After cleaning up, nearby flower friends came one after another to help, saying they would take some branches home to let it branch out and flourish. Since that is the case, then let's follow the little gardener to learn how to improve the success rate of bougainvillea cuttings.
1. The bougainvillea raised for 16 years has "met with disaster"
What the flower friend mentioned is exactly this bougainvillea. This is a photo of it blooming around Qingming, bright and lively, very likable. At the summer solstice, once the rainstorm and strong wind blew, plus the impact of the typhoon weather some time earlier, the old bougainvillea tree fell over. The flower friend was at home, constantly watering and fertilizing it, and had developed feelings for it. When it fell, they felt very sad.
This is a tree with some years behind it, and beside it there are also branches that have aged and rotted. With this pruning and pulling, who knows when it can recover. When nearby flower friends heard the "bad news," they all said they wanted to rush over to grab "branches," to take a few of the best ones home and let it branch out and flourish. Just after the disaster, the flower friend's heart also warmed up. The little gardener below will give everyone some tips on how to improve the survival rate of bougainvillea cuttings in summer.
2. Summer bougainvillea cutting "techniques"
The first point is the issue of choosing branches. For cuttings in spring and autumn, the climate is suitable, so hard branches can be used, but summer is different. Now is the hottest time of the year, so we had better use "soft branches" for cuttings. Before cutting, it is best to soak the branches in rooting powder, just use it according to the instructions. After soaking, you have to prepare the cutting soil.
Based on the little gardener's experience, the cutting soil is best made of coarse sand. Coarse sand is a good material for rooting. It can be mixed like this: coarse sand, perlite, and peat at a ratio of 1:1:1, and used after proper disinfection. When inserting, there is a small trick: do not directly rub the branch in, but first make a hole with chopsticks, then put the branch in. After all, it is a soft branch, not an old branch. Everyone should pay attention to this.
After inserting, water it to make the cutting soil moist, then like in the picture above, cover it with a layer of plastic wrap, then poke a few holes in it to ensure ventilation, and place it in a spot with sparse sunlight for care. Bright places at home without direct sunlight are also fine, and ventilation must be ensured. Do not place it in too dark a place.
It will survive very quickly. When it grows to the state shown in the picture above, it can be moved to a pot and transplanted, and the basic cutting work is considered complete. After changing to a new pot and letting it adapt, we had best water it with Zhuanggen's Huadong organic nutrient solution, using it to nourish roots and strengthen seedlings. Only then will the survival rate of the young seedlings be higher. If care is neglected after repotting, all the previous effort will be wasted.
It is indeed a great pity that this bougainvillea raised for 16 years suffered such misfortune. However, we must also look forward. Those successfully rooted bougainvillea cuttings, after branching out and flourishing, will continue its spirit and bloom even more passionately.