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To achieve maximum flowering, proper care of the beautiful bougainvillea is essential. Below are valuable care tips for you and your bougainvillea.
Bougainvillea, originally from South America, has long held a special place in the hearts of many hobby gardeners. The plant is particularly popular due to its beautiful bracts, which, with proper care, thrive vigorously every year. But how to properly care for this exotic plant? Here’s everything you need to know about watering, fertilizing, and pruning.
Watering the bougainvillea
The optimal water supply for a bougainvillea is essential for its growth during the summer and should not be neglected. Always keep the substrate slightly moist so that the soil never dries out completely. Don’t worry though: if you forget to water for a short period or no one is available during the holidays, the plant will not die immediately. However, leaf loss should be expected if drought conditions persist. Just like a lack of water, waterlogging should also be avoided for this tropical plant to prevent root rot. During the winter, be sure to keep watering to a minimum, otherwise it could damage the plant.
Fertilizing bougainvillea
Lack of nutrients can occur in bougainvillea, just like in many other potted plants, and will limit growth and flowering. Therefore, using different fertilizers can be quite helpful. Below is everything important you need to know about fertilizing a bougainvillea.
How often and how much to fertilize?
A good way to quickly provide new nutrients is to repot the plant after winter. Commercial, peat-free potting soil is very suitable for repotting, and mixing in compost or compost soil further improves the soil properties. Organic compost is already enriched with all important nutrients and offers your bougainvillea optimal conditions to start with.
What is the best fertilizer?
Using compost, as well as other organic fertilizers, is useful for bougainvillea for many reasons. For one, it is always the most environmentally friendly option, which also provides nutrients for a longer period than mineral liquid fertilizers. In addition, in this way, over-fertilization can be avoided and the plant’s roots can be protected from being burned by mineral salts. A plant-based fertilizer is also a very good option for bougainvillea.
Pruning bougainvillea
The branches are brown and the magnificent bracts have faded, which means it’s time for the hobby gardener to get out the scissors and prune the bougainvillea. Pruning exotic flowers is often necessary to maintain the willingness to bloom. Here’s how proper pruning works.
When is the best time to prune?
The first pruning of the year should always be done immediately after winter, when the bougainvillea has not yet sprouted. Light pruning can be done during the year to increase flowering. A final pruning before winter in the fall is also common to prepare the plant for the cold season.
Step-by-step instructions for pruning bougainvillea
Follow these steps when pruning bougainvillea throughout the year:
- Cut off last year’s leaves and shoots in early spring so that the bougainvillea can continue to branch. Make sure not to cut off all the branches, but always leave one-third of the length. The exotic’s colorful flowers always grow on the plant’s new shoots, so the first pruning is especially important.
- During the summer, shoots with wilted and dried bracts should be sporadically pruned so that new branches can grow. With this method, flowering can be prolonged in summer and sometimes the splendour of the flowers can be enjoyed well into autumn.
- In autumn, a final pruning should be carried out on the plant, so that it can winter without problems. Prune the bougainvillea a little more compactly, so that it does not take up too much space in its winter location.
Tips for buying a bougainvillea
To give your garden a southern touch, buying a bougainvillea is certainly a good choice. When buying, be sure to pay attention to the following aspects:
- Variety: Typically, garden centers only sell bougainvillea of the Bougainvillea glabra species. This species is also called bald three-leaf flower, and features stunning pink-purple bracts and a climbing habit.
- Moment: It is best to buy your bougainvillea in spring or early summer so that the purchase will be worthwhile during the summer. Also, during this period, you basically have a greater variety of options, whereas buying during the winter months could be difficult.
- Health: When purchasing, be sure to check the entire plant and also the soil for pests or diseases. Buying a diseased bougainvillea can also infect other plants at home, so always keep an eye on the quality of the plant material.
Planting bougainvillea
After purchasing a bougainvillea, it should be transplanted immediately. This is because the exotic plant is considered fast-growing and therefore requires a large pot as a container. Below is what else you should pay attention to when planting a bougainvillea.
What is the appropriate location?
With its tropical origins, it is no surprise that the three-leafed flower is decidedly heat-loving. A very sunny and sheltered spot in the garden is therefore ideal for the exotic. Depending on the size, it can also be helpful to provide a climbing support. Usually, a spot directly on the house wall is perfect, as it is warm and sheltered.
What substrate for a bougainvillea?
Bougainvilleas are generally low-maintenance plants and do not have many requirements for the soil. Make sure that the substrate is permeable and free of peat. Compost perfectly meets these requirements and also contains all the nutrients necessary for bougainvillea.
When planting a bougainvillea, you should pay attention to the following points:
- Large pot with enough volume
- Warm, bright, sheltered spot in the garden (e.g. on the wall of the house)
- High quality, peat-free organic potting soil
Bougainvillea: Cold tolerant?
Bougainvilleas, due to their origin in the tropical areas of South America, do not have a high tolerance for low temperatures, let alone frost. Overwintering outside a winter location is not possible in this country and would lead to the death of the plant. The proper greenhouse for the plant is therefore essential to enjoy the exotic for many years.
Successfully overwintering bougainvillea
The first consideration for a suitable bougainvillea greenhouse is the selection of a suitable location. This should meet the following criteria:
- Temperature between 10 and 15 °C
- Brilliant location
- Soil not too cold
During the fall, bougainvillea, like our native deciduous trees, loses its leaves. But don’t worry: this is not a sign of improper care, but a completely natural process. From March onwards, you can slowly acclimatize the plant to an outdoor location again, provided that no frost is expected.
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