Remember these three tricks for pruning Bougainvillea, and it will grow like crazy and burst into bloom nonstop

Many people love Bougainvillea because it has a long flowering period, is easy to grow, and the flowers themselves are very beautiful. Planting some at home, whether as a potted plant to cultivate your mood or grown in the ground for climbing care, is very suitable, but different growers get very different results with Bougainvillea. Some people's Bougainvillea "grows like crazy nonstop," sprouting flowers all year round, even saving them the cost of curtains and wallpaper; while some people's Bougainvillea is truly "crazy stalled and not growing," and after a whole year of hard work it still has not escaped the range of the flower pot, which is heartbreaking and exhausting to see. So it is also Bougainvillea, why is the difference in flowering so big? Actually it still comes down to care, for example, pruning has a lot to it.

Does Bougainvillea need pruning?

The answer is definitely yes, mainly because Bougainvillea is a perennial vine-like shrub with a very fast growth rate. If not restricted, it is very likely that because of rapid growth the inner branches cannot receive sunlight, leading to yellow leaves and other phenomena that affect normal plant growth. And only by pruning Bougainvillea can we help create a beautiful Bougainvillea plant shape, so that it can bloom continuously. Therefore, over the course of a year we should carry out at least 2-3 comprehensive prunings, and dead branches and rotten leaves in daily care should also be cut off at the first opportunity, as this is best for Bougainvillea.

When is the most suitable time to prune?

Generally speaking, Bougainvillea pruning is related to its own growth stage. First, the first time can be when Bougainvillea sprouts each year, usually between March and April, and promptly cutting off aged branches can help with the rational distribution of nutrients; the second time can be in early September, when because autumn has just arrived and the temperature has already turned cooler, pruning off leggy branches encourages Bougainvillea to differentiate more side branches and flower buds, preparing for a burst of blooms in October.

For cultivating Bougainvillea, remember the "three-character classic"

1. Ruthless

Pruning Bougainvillea is actually somewhat similar to life sometimes, that is, you must dare to be heavy-handed, and when you act you must be ruthless. For old, weak, and diseased branches, you must cut them off without hesitation, because these branches that have already lost their vitality will only waste resources if left on the Bougainvillea, so the principle of "eliminate the weak and keep the strong" is emphasized, and you cannot be lenient with these branches. Of course, the word "ruthless" can also be applied to pruning leggy branches. Leggy branches not only ruin the beauty of the plant shape, but tall and sturdy leggy branches also consume a great deal of the plant's nutrients, which is not good for the main branches and trunk to differentiate flower buds. If you do not want your Bougainvillea to bloom as a "single showpiece," leggy branches must be eliminated in advance.

2. Thin out

We have already said above that Bougainvillea is a plant with a very fast growth rate. Because the branches on the outside of the whole plant receive enough light and water, they grow very robustly, and as a result, inside these robust branches there appear branches called "inner branches," which not only cannot carry out photosynthesis but also continue to consume nutrients, affect the plant's ventilation, and may even cause Bougainvillea to suffer from diseases. So thinning out inner branches and overly dense branches is the only way to let Bougainvillea grow healthily.

3. Short

This word "short" mainly means that when pruning branches growing in the same direction, thick branches should be shortened and weak branches should be cut off. In fact, its principle is somewhat similar to the "eliminate the weak and keep the strong" we just mentioned. Keeping and shortening the strongest branches and completely cutting off the thin and weak branches helps nutrients be supplied in a concentrated way, and the flowers that bloom are naturally healthier and stronger, with a stronger ability to resist pests and diseases.

September is about to arrive, which exactly corresponds to the pruning period we introduced at the beginning of the article, so if you have Bougainvillea at home, what are you waiting for?