Bougainvillea August Care Tips: Do These 3 Things for More Flower Buds and a Fiery Red Sea of Blooms in October

Bougainvillea is loved by many flower enthusiasts because of its vivid flower colors and especially abundant blooms; when it flowers, it always draws people in with a vast sea of red blossoms.

As August begins, bougainvillea slowly starts preparing to bud and bloom again, so you need to do these 3 things in advance to let it show buds in September and keep bursting into a fiery red sea of blooms in October!

1. Pruning

No matter how heat-tolerant bougainvillea is, it will still develop some dead branches and broken branches, and these consume nutrients and have a certain impact on the plant's sprouting and growth, so they should all be pruned off. Also, some inner-canopy branches, leggy branches, and overly weak branches should be pruned off as well, leaving space for the main branches to sprout and grow.

You should also begin properly pinching back the bougainvillea to promote the sprouting and growth of lateral buds, making the plant more branchy and leafy and helping it differentiate more flower buds.

2. Light Control

Bougainvillea is a short-day plant, and its flowering period can be controlled by regulating light exposure. After August begins, you should start controlling light: give it 8-9 hours of light each day, then carry out dark treatment by covering it with a black plastic bag. For larger plants, you can cut the plastic bag open and drape it over the top until it is about to bloom. Then spray water daily to lower the temperature and increase humidity, which further helps flower bud differentiation.

3. Reasonable Fertilization

Bougainvillea has a large number of flowers, so it needs sufficient nutrients. Apply diluted liquid fertilizer once a week, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Each month, you can bury an appropriate amount of bone meal, decomposed bean dregs, or animal manure into the potting soil to increase soil fertility. When burying it, be careful not to place it close to the crown and do not let the roots come into direct contact with it, so as to avoid burning the roots.

That is all for bougainvillea care. If you have any other additions, feel free to share them with everyone in the comments section below. If you want to learn more about plant care, you can follow Huajianke!