What are the precautions for growing bougainvillea at home?

Precautions for growing bougainvillea at home

Bougainvillea: also known as paper flower, it likes a warm and humid climate and sunshine, and is not cold-tolerant; insufficient light will cause few flowers and leaf drop. It likes fertilizer and water, grows vigorously, and has low requirements for soil. Pruning is generally done after flowering and before new shoots grow; cut off overly dense, inner, and leggy branches and take care to keep the tree shape attractive. The overwintering temperature is best above 12°C.

How to grow bougainvillea: home growing methods and precautions for bougainvillea

Soil selection for growing bougainvillea

The growing medium for bougainvillea is made by piling loam, cow dung, leaf mold, sand, etc. to decompose, and adding an appropriate amount of bone meal when using. When planting, set the bougainvillea upright, fill in the growing medium firmly, and water thoroughly.

Mix garden soil: leaf mold: sand in a 5:3:2 ratio, or mix peat soil: leaf mold: sand: perlite in a 5:2:2:1 ratio.

Watering methods for growing bougainvillea

In spring, as growth accelerates, it needs watering every day, and its leaves and surroundings should often be sprinkled with water to increase air humidity; insufficient air humidity makes it very prone to leaf drop.

In summer during the flowering period, water twice a day: spray water in the morning, and after 4 p.m. give 1 watering; after bougainvillea is watered once before flowering, water again only after the leaves or tender buds droop.

In autumn, after the temperature becomes cool, just keep the potting soil moist. When the temperature is relatively low (around 10°C), water less and keep the potting soil on the dry side. But if the indoor temperature stays above 15°C, water more generously to keep the potting soil moist.

In winter, control watering; do not water if the potting soil is not dry.

Fertilizing methods for growing bougainvillea

Bougainvillea likes fertilizer. After the weather warms in spring, apply nitrogen fertilizer once every 10-15 days; during the growing period, apply cake fertilizer water once a week; during the flowering period, add several applications of phosphorus fertilizer. After autumn turns cool, reduce the amount of fertilizer, and stop fertilizing in winter. During the peak growing and flowering season, spray the leaves with 1000-times potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution 2-3 times, or apply a general-purpose fertilizer once every 10 days.

Note: bougainvillea is very sensitive to urea. Improper fertilizing may produce the phenomenon of luxuriant branches and leaves but few flowers, so be especially cautious when applying urea.

Light and temperature requirements for growing bougainvillea

The suitable temperature for bougainvillea growth is 20-30°C; when the winter temperature is below 5°C, it is prone to frost damage and leaf drop.

Bougainvillea likes light. Insufficient light during the growing season will cause the plant to grow weakly and affect flowering. In winter, it should be placed in a bright place, and daily light must not be less than 8 hours, otherwise heavy leaf drop is likely.

Precautions for growing bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is not cold-tolerant and is very prone to frostbite, and in severe cases can freeze to death, so be sure to pay attention to temperature changes. Generally speaking, if the temperature stays below 5°C for a relatively long time, it may freeze to death; even in the winter in the south, the lowest is only around 3°C.

Bougainvillea fears waterlogging, so potted bougainvillea must never have standing water in the pot.

Bougainvillea tolerates pruning well; do not be afraid of pruning it badly, as frequent pruning helps it bloom more.

What should be noted when growing bougainvillea at home

   Many netizens keep asking about home growing methods for bougainvillea, so here is a brief introduction: bougainvillea stands out among potted flowers for its unique petals and light fragrance. Bougainvillea is also known as paper flower, is native to Brazil, and is cultivated in various places in China. It likes a warm, sunny environment, and its stems are curved and densely covered with fine hairs. The leaves are alternate, ovate, covered with thick fine hairs, and blunt at the tip. The flowers are borne at the tips of new shoots, usually 3 flowers clustered within 3 relatively large bracts, with the pedicel fused to the midvein of the bract. The bracts are leaf-like, elliptical, bright red, and there are also white, brick red, orange and other varieties. The perianth tube is densely covered with soft hairs, with 5 to 10 stamens, and the ovary has 1 locule; the flowering period is from June to December. In warm southern regions it is often used as greening material for trellises, hedges and walls, and can also be grown in pots for ornament. The precautions for making its potted flowering period long and its flower color bright are briefly described as follows:
 
   First, scientific water management. That is, combining three points: watering, water control, and heavy watering. In the early summer growing season, water once a day to ensure branch and leaf growth. From June to July, depending on the variety, control water appropriately 3 to 4 times; the degree of water control is to make the shoot tips and leaves slightly wilt. At this time, spray water on the leaves 1 to 2 times a day, and after 2 to 3 days water thoroughly. Repeated water control several times or watering every other day can promote flower bud differentiation. When flower buds appear on the new shoots, give one heavy watering in the morning and one in the evening every day, and spray water on the leaf surface 1 to 2 times. After October, water appropriately according to the degree of dryness and wetness of the soil. After being brought indoors in winter, keep to not watering if not dry, and water thoroughly when watering.

Second, fertilize properly. Bougainvillea blooms a lot and has a long flowering period, consumes much nutrients, and the potting soil is limited, so fertilizer must be supplemented regularly. When repotting in spring, apply sufficient base fertilizer; according to the size of the flower pot, apply 10 to 15 grams of decomposed dried chicken manure or cake fertilizer per pot, and after it is moved outdoors, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer as a top dressing. During the vigorous growth period, apply decomposed cake fertilizer water every 7 days to accelerate flower bud differentiation. When flower buds appear in the leaf axils, more fertilizer and heavier fertilizer can be applied, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. During the peak flowering period in summer, apply alum fertilizer water once every 3 to 5 days, and spray 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate every 7 days. From August to October, even more heavy fertilizer and heavy water are needed, replacing water with fertilizer, using alum fertilizer water or cake fertilizer water for irrigation.

Third, the sunshine duration should be long and the light should be strong. Potted bougainvillea can bloom all year round as long as light, temperature, water, and fertilizer are sufficient. With 10 to 12 hours of sunshine per day, strong light, and good ventilation conditions, the flowering period can reach 180 to 200 days. Among them, purple bougainvillea can bloom until the Spring Festival, and after being moved outdoors at Qingming, it can bloom again in full glory at May Day.