Grow this flower in summer, and when it blooms, brilliant color covers every branch

Bougainvillea has large bracts, colors as vivid as flowers, and they last a long time. In the hot summer, its brightly colored bracts bloom in profusion, covering every branch with splendor and giving people a bold, passionate feeling. In addition, bougainvillea is also a very good environmental greening plant.

For potted bougainvillea, well-drained sandy loam is most suitable. It likes a warm, humid climate and is cold-tolerant; it can overwinter safely only above 3°C, and can bloom only above 15°C.

In addition, bougainvillea is a sun-loving plant. To make the branches and leaves grow normally and increase the number of blooms, it must be placed in a spot with ample light and good ventilation, giving it 8~12 hours of light each day. If the placement is often shaded, the plant will grow leggy, thereby reducing the number of blooms. If the placement is not ventilated or the pots are placed too densely together, the leaves will drop, especially in the hot summer.

When watering potted bougainvillea normally, follow the principle of not watering until dry, and watering thoroughly when you do. But to make it bloom uniformly and abundantly, water must be controlled before flowering. Start controlling watering from September; each time, wait until the potting soil is dry and the branches and leaves hang limply before watering. Repeat this continuously for half a month, then resume normal watering.

During the water-control period, absolutely do not fertilize, to avoid fertilizer burning the roots. After about one month this way, bougainvillea will bud and bloom, and the flowers will open uniformly and abundantly.

To make bougainvillea bloom more, sufficient nutrients must be ensured, but fertilizing must also be timely and moderate. Generally, during the vigorous growth period from April to July, apply liquid fertilizer once every 7~10 days to promote robust plant growth; a general-purpose organic liquid fertilizer for flowers can be used. Starting in August, to promote flower bud formation, fertilize once every 10 days.

From October, it enters the flowering period. From then until mid-November, apply a fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus once every half month, with a fertilizer-water concentration of 30%~40%. After that, apply an additional topdressing once after each flowering, so that bougainvillea can continuously receive nutrient supplementation during the flowering period.

In addition, bougainvillea grows quickly, so during the growing period pay attention to shaping and pruning to promote side branch growth and produce more flowering branches. The number of prunings is generally 1~3 times; too many is not suitable, otherwise it will affect the number of blooms. After each flowering, promptly remove spent flowers to reduce nutrient consumption.