Bougainvillea is sun-tolerant and blooms in explosive profusion, turning into a blaze of red

The "flowers" of bougainvillea are actually made up of three leaf-like "petals," mainly in red and purple. This plant is very easy to grow, tolerant of sun and drought, and its flowering period can last several months. Bougainvillea is a vine-type plant that often climbs over railings and wall corners. When it blooms, it is a riot of brilliant colors, with more flowers than leaves.

If you have a yard at home, then bougainvillea is the most suitable plant of all. For those flower lovers who are not wealthy, a small balcony is enough to let bougainvillea freely spread its wings, and if you have nothing better, just grab a flower pot. Let me show you how to grow bougainvillea in a pot and still produce a sea of flowers.

Bougainvillea is not at all fussy about soil mix. Of course, well-draining soil is the best choice, but heavy clay soil is no problem for it either. Its tenacious vitality makes it just that willful. If you are casual when mixing the soil, then later you need to be diligent about loosening the soil to prevent it from caking and hardening, which is bad for growth.

Bougainvillea is sun-tolerant, so if you have a yard or balcony, boldly put it outdoors. There is no need at all to worry about what harm the high temperature of the blazing sun might do to it. It even tends to grow stronger the more it is sunned. It is a child that loves sunlight! Please give it sunshine and give it heat! Lack of sunlight will stop it from blooming, and may even make it drop leaves until only bare branches remain!

Bougainvillea is drought-tolerant, so occasionally forgetting to water it is actually not a big problem. The principle of watering is to water thoroughly once the soil has dried out. If grown outdoors in the sun, water once every two or three days in summer, about once every five days in spring and autumn, and once every 7-10 days in winter. There is no need to water too frequently; you can let the soil dry out a bit before watering. The sign of lack of water is that it easily drops leaves.

Bougainvillea has relatively few pests and diseases. What you need to note is that because its growth is rather vigorous, it easily grows many branches and leaves and becomes very lush. If the branches and leaves are too dense, prune it regularly. First, this can prevent problems such as aphids; second, too many branches and leaves make it hard to bloom. Removing leaves appropriately is what allows it to bloom more.

For regular pruning, it is recommended to keep it up more than three times a year. One is winter pruning, to conserve strength for the coming spring; one is after the branches sprout in spring, cutting off those branches that grow weakly or are too many; and one is after flowering, cutting off those withered branches and weak leaves. Pruning can be decided by yourself according to the shape of the potted plant, but keeping the overall height of the branches across the whole plant at the same level is more conducive to flowering.