Don't panic if your bougainvillea drops its leaves - one small step and new shoots and flower buds will cover the branches within a month

Bougainvillea is also called paperflower. When it blooms, the whole tree is covered in flowers, the flowering period is very long, and it looks lovely. There are also bougainvilleas in many different colors. In some cities in the south, there are lots of bougainvilleas grown outdoors, but nowadays many people like to grow bougainvillea in pots at home on the balcony. In the process of caring for bougainvillea, you may run into the situation where it drops its leaves. If your potted bougainvillea has almost lost all its leaves, what should you do?

If your bougainvillea has lost all its leaves, one little trick and new leaves will grow within a month, and the branches will be full of flowers!

First, check the branches of the bougainvillea. Snap off a section and look inside - if there is still moisture and it is green, that is fine. If it is completely dried out, that is no good. If the inside of the branch under the outer skin is still green and moist, that proves it is still alive and normal. At this point, use a little trick and it may well bloom even more.

Put the potted bougainvillea directly in a spot with bright indirect light, partial shade and good ventilation. Do not let it sit in strong sun. If some branches are a bit leggy, you can take this opportunity to trim some off to encourage more new branches to grow.

You can mist a little water onto the branches once a day, or put a plastic bag over it, the purpose being to keep it warm and humid. Keep the potting soil in a semi-dry state, and water thoroughly once it has dried out. Then wait patiently. In less than a month, new leaves and flower buds will gradually emerge, and the whole branches will be covered in blooms.

Of course, if the temperature drops and it is not the growing season, during autumn and winter it will also normally drop some leaves. Also, a potted bougainvillea just bought from a greenhouse will go through an adjustment period after you bring it home and will drop leaves too; it will be fine once it slowly adapts to the environment. If the temperature is low, just keep the bougainvillea in a spot with plenty of sunlight where it is not exposed to cold wind.

There is also a little trick to make bougainvillea bloom quickly, and that is water control. During the growing season, in order to make the bougainvillea bloom profusely and bloom smoothly, you give it a period of water control, about twenty days or so. At this time some old leaves will drop, but once the water control period is over, increase the light and water it normally, and within a week it will sprout new shoots and grow lots of flower buds. Many of Xiaoya's flower-growing friends do this, and they get plenty of blooms.

If overwatering causes water to accumulate in the potting soil and the roots cannot breathe properly, leading to leaf drop, then promptly move it to a ventilated spot and stop watering; water again once it has dried out. Also, a lack of water can cause drought-related leaf drop; in that case just replenish the water, and the dropped leaves will keep growing back.

Normally, in spring and autumn you must fertilize the bougainvillea often, but do not use too much fertilizer at one time. Prune often, fertilize often, and give it plenty of sun, and it can bloom all over the tree, especially beautiful!

A bougainvillea in full bloom!