What are the care methods for bougainvillea?
The bougainvillea is moved outdoors in late April each year and repotted. The potting soil can be a mix of culture soil with a small amount of river sand, along with a small amount of bone meal, phosphorus and other fertilizers.
Bougainvillea is a strongly sun-loving flower. If light is insufficient or it is too shaded, new branches grow thin and weak, flowers are few or none appear, and the leaves become dull, or even drop. After the weather warms in spring, the pot can be moved to a sunny spot on the balcony for care. In winter, it is best placed on a sunny windowsill indoors at 18-20°C.
Bougainvillea likes fertilizer. After potting, it needs large amounts of fertilizer during the growing season. From April to September, fertilize twice a month. Fertilizers can include bean cake fertilizer, horseshoe slices or other organic fertilizers. In winter, growth basically stops, so fertilization can be discontinued.
After repotting, bougainvillea needs a thorough watering. In the vigorous growing summer, it needs large amounts of water: water once each morning and evening, and also spray the leaves. If the water supply is insufficient, growth is affected, and leaves tend to drop and flowering is delayed. After flowering, watering can be appropriately reduced. In winter, if the room temperature is below 18°C, some leaves will fall. At this time, be careful to control watering; excessive moisture easily causes root rot.
After the flowering period and before new shoots grow, bougainvillea can be appropriately pruned. When pruning, take care to maintain the plant's appearance. Thin out overly dense branches, inner branches and leggy branches. Horizontal branches are generally not pruned, and other branches generally should not be pruned either, still less heavily pruned, to prevent the formation of leggy branches that affect flower bud formation.
Bougainvillea is usually propagated by cuttings. Spring is the best time for cuttings; cuttings taken from mid-May to early June have a high survival rate. Choose annual, semi-lignified, robustly growing branches as cuttings. Cut them into 10-15 cm cuttings, each with 2-3 buds, with the cut at the base of a node; the cut must be smooth. Insert them into a pot of fine sand to a depth of 3-4 cm. After watering thoroughly, cover the pot with plastic film, which can keep warmth and moisture and protect against rain.
Roots form in about one month, and after about another 40 days they can be transplanted into pots. After potting, place them in a semi-shaded spot. After the seedlings recover and resume growth for a period, they can gradually be exposed to light and given normal care. Generally, they will flower after two years of growth. Bougainvillea has the advantages of being easy to obtain material from and easy to propagate.
The bougainvillea not only has high ornamental value, but is also a kind of Chinese herbal medicine, with the effect of dispersing phlegm and reducing swelling.