Bougainvillea photo, home care, reproduction, cultivation

Botanical description of the flower

Bougainvillea is a wild tree that reaches a height of 5 meters. A special feature of the plant is its small size, which the flower reaches when grown at home. When grown indoors, the crop does not exceed 1.5 meters in height. Some varieties are climbing shrubs that are quite rare in the natural environment.

The plant belongs to the Noctiflower family. According to other data, the culture is classified as Niktaginov. The presence of thorns and liana-like branches on the stems of the tree helps the plant cling to supports and grow high up.

The plant has a dense stem, highly branched. As the crop grows, the stem becomes woody and thickens. The bark is a brown, sometimes uneven surface covering the shoots and stem. With age, the tree bark changes color to grayish.

The branches of the plant are located closer to the top. The branches are abundantly covered with foliage. The leaves are located on petioles. The leaf blade is bright green, there are leaves with spots. The leaves are even, smooth, with even edges and a pointed end. The foliage is small in size, the size does not exceed 5 cm. The foliage is arranged alternately on the branches. The shape of the leaf plate is round or ovoid.

The flowers are not decorative because they quickly fall off. Flowering occurs in June. The inflorescences are hidden among the lush foliage, so they are practically invisible on the tree. The flowers consist of 5 petals, white or cream in color, with curved edges.

The bracts make the plant decorative. The variety of species allows you to grow bougainvillea with pink, crimson, yellow or red bracts. Around each flower bud there are three large petals. Some hybrids have several shades of bracts on one plant. The surface of the bracts has a very thin plate, with visible networks of veins on it. During flowering, thanks to the bracts, the trees become almost completely covered with colorful petals.

Hybrid varieties are of particular interest to gardeners, since individual plant varieties can have bracts of two colors on the same plant. At the same time, trees of the most varied sizes amaze with the variety of bract shapes - arrow-shaped, semicircular and even triangular.

Bougainvillea indoors

In indoor conditions, the plant should be placed in a well-lit place with moderate temperature, without exposure to direct sunlight. Indoor bougainvillea, with proper care, blooms profusely for 7-8 months, in autumn, winter and spring, starting in November with purple or pink flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter. Ideal keeping conditions are temperature in the summer within +20 +25 °C, in winter +12 +16 °C.

From spring to autumn, it is recommended to place it in the fresh air in the garden or on an open balcony, protected from precipitation and drafts, and in the first 2 weeks in a shaded place until it gets used to bright light.

Types and varieties of bougainvillea

Only 15 varieties of bougainvillea are found in nature. However, many hybrid varieties have been developed that are derived from three different species.

Brazilian species

There are about 5 varieties. Brazilian species are one of a kind and lend themselves well to breeding and hybridization.

Bougainvillea Naked

A representative of a Brazilian species that grows as a tall creeping shrub. The height of the crop reaches 5 meters. Different varieties of shrubs have a variety of colors of bracts. White, pink, and red bougainvilleas of this variety are found in nature.

The plant has a spreading, highly branched stem with a large number of shoots. The branches are riddled with thorns, which help the bush cling to support.

A special feature of this variety is the presence of gloss on the foliage. The leaf blade is round, heart-shaped, with smooth edges and a pointed end. The plant has fairly large leaves - the length of each leaf reaches 15 cm and the width up to 6 cm. The leaves are dark green in color.

Since the shrub easily tolerates pruning, flower growers love the variety for its ability to give the desired shape. The variety of varieties determines the wide distribution of bougainvillea in the decorative arts.

Bougainvillea is beautiful

A Brazilian representative of bougainvillea, it grows as a liana-like shrub, up to 15 meters high. Thorns and climbing stems are tenaciously attached to the base of a support or building facade, creating a living wall. Various varieties of bougainvillea have pink or purple bracts. The decorative appearance of the vine has led to the widespread use of shrubs in landscape design.

The entire surface of the vine stems is covered with branches, which are abundantly fluffed with foliage. The leaves fall down, creating a dense cascade. The shoots are flexible, cling to support and stretch upward.

Bougainvillea beautiful inflorescences appear in April, when large paniculate inflorescences with unusual bracts grow on the vine. By the time all the buds open, the vine becomes crimson or bright pink, due to the large number of flowers. As the flowers fade, the bracts change color to a more faded color.

Bougainvillea peruviana

Colombian variety, which is a climbing shrub. A feature of the species is the presence of double bracts, which gives the shrub unusual beauty and decorativeness. The plant has short thorns, which are modified shoots. Bougainvillea of this species has a small number of lateral stems, so with age the shrub acquires an elongated shape, rising upward. Therefore, long shoots are often pruned to give the bush a fluffy appearance.

The leaves of the bush are smooth, round in shape, with a pointed end. The leaf blade is dark green in color, with smooth edges. A central vein and several side veins are visible on the surface of the leaf. The leaves are arranged alternately on the stem using petioles.

With proper care and sufficient warmth, bougainvillea blooms several times a year. The plant prefers dry soil, so a warm subtropical climate is needed for the flowers to reappear. The bracts of this species can vary in color, depending on the variety. Thus, varieties with crimson, pink or lilac bracts are most often grown. There are also yellow and white shades.

Hybrid varieties of bougainvillea

The large number of varieties is due to good crossbreeding of the three main species - Peruvian, beautiful and naked bougainvillea. The most popular varieties are:

Sanderiana is a variety obtained by crossing beautiful and bare bougainvillea. A special feature is the appearance in mid-April of bright purple bracts, inside of which there are small cream flowers. Since the plant is easy to prune, the variety is often grown at home. In addition, its unpretentiousness and large number of flowers have led to the widespread use of the variety in decorating parks and building facades.
Vera Deep Purple is a variety that is a small-sized bush-type bougainvillea. A special feature of the variety is the presence of large bracts, which, when flowering profusely, cover the entire tree like a lilac or crimson blanket.
Glabra Donker is a variety similar in shape and external characteristics to the previous one. A special feature of the variety is the presence of bracts, mainly at the top of young shoots. It blooms all summer with white, inconspicuous inflorescences. The bracts abundantly cover the tops of the stems with pink or purple petals.
Donya is a popular variety among flower growers, since flowering lasts almost the whole year. Fluffy shrub, up to 3 meters high. In spring, a large number of stems are abundantly covered with pink or purple bracts. The variety looks impressive in the garden, so it is often used for decoration.
Jamaica White - a feature of the variety is the presence on the tree of an abundant number of rich white bracts. In combination with dark glossy foliage, the plant looks unusual. The tree can be grown at home, since the size of bougainvillea does not exceed a meter in height.
White Cascade is a low representative of bougainvillea, which is a tree or shrub. In spring, against the background of dark green foliage, an abundant number of small, inconspicuous white flowers appear, which are practically invisible against the background of the bracts. The bracts of this variety are ivory-colored. A special feature of the variety is the presence of large leaves, round in shape, and dark green in color.
California Gold is an unusual variety that spends most of the season covered in yellow or golden bracts that cover the entire tree profusely. The height of the plant allows it to be kept in offices and rooms. However, with a lack of light, bougainvillea can confuse its flowering seasons.
Golden Tango - an abundant number of large yellow bracts against the background of dark green foliage makes the crop decorative for the entire flowering period. The plant grows well in places with a climate reaching 5 degrees below zero. A special feature is the number of bracts under each flower, which reaches 6-7 petals.
Tomato Red is a short representative that gets along well with home conditions. The plant is decorative with its burgundy bracts, which cover almost the entire bush. Small white flowers against a background of large bracts give bougainvillea extraordinary beauty.
The Lateritia variety is an unusual hybrid that grows in the form of a bush. A special feature of the variety is the decorative appearance of the bracts - in the sun the petals are reflected in orange shades, but in fact they have a scarlet color.

Today, bougainvillea is widely bred and hybridized. Every year the number of varieties increases. Varieties are being developed that can withstand moderate climatic conditions and are more frost-resistant to temperature changes.

Varieties that change color

Today, flower growers have managed to develop new varieties that, as they grow, change the shade of the bracts. The most common varieties are:

Bois De Roses is a perennial tree-like plant that changes from orange bracts to bright pink and even purple as it blooms. the bracts are double, so around the flower on the peduncle 6-7 petals appear simultaneously, decorating the crop;
Thai Gold is a bougainvillea that has double inflorescences with gold or orange bract petals. By the end of the buds' ripening, the petals change their shade to a delicate pink or lilac hue.

Due to its beauty, bougainvillea is of particular interest to gardeners. Therefore, varieties are constantly updated and new ones are developed.

Bicolor varieties

Florists who are considering and breeding new varieties of bougainvillea by crossing different species have managed to obtain varieties that have two shades of bracts on one plant:

Snowcap Multi and Strawberry Lace are two varieties that have the same description and characteristics. They grow in the form of a bush, up to 3 meters in height. The plant is unique for its bracts. At the moment of flowering, white and bright pink bracts appear simultaneously on different branches on one plant. In addition, many of the petals of the bracts are colored in a double combination of colors. Due to their characteristics and color, the plants are similar to strawberries and cream.
Mary Palmer is a flowering shrub or tree that is special for its flowers. Compared to previous varieties, this subspecies has dull shades of pink and white, due to which it looks unusual and adds decorative value with its attractive appearance.

Work to breed more bicolor bougainvilleas is constantly bearing fruit. Every year, plants acquire new colors, and flower growers receive new hybrids.

Variegated varieties of bougainvillea

The decorative effect of some varieties is due to the growth of variegated leaves on the stems. Various shades of green on the surface of the leaf blade give the crop an unusual, decorative appearance.

San Diego Red Variegata is a representative of the bougainvillea that has foliage of varying colors. Each leaf combines yellow, gold and green tones that sparkle in the sun and shimmer with bright shades. A special feature of this variety is the presence of rich red bracts and white flowers, which look decorative during cultivation.
Delta Dawn is a bougainvillea variety that combines dark foliage with hints of matte yellow and white. The variety blooms with white flowers, around which large orange or brown bracts appear.

Bonsai varieties

Hybrid varieties also include plants that can be easily pruned. Thanks to this combination of properties and beauty, the plant is often planted at home:

Bougainvillea Alexandra is a representative of low-growing tree-like varieties that are excellent for growing indoors. In addition, due to its unpretentiousness, the crop can be grown in gardens and flower beds. In open ground, the plant cannot withstand low temperatures, so to guarantee flowering, the tree is planted only in the south. It is a small tree with a dense stem. The top of the stem branches strongly, forming a crown. By early April, Alexandra begins to bloom with bright white flowers, which become noticeable thanks to purple bracts.
Butiana is a representative of perennial trees, evergreen and blooming several times a year. A feature of the variety is the possibility and easy tolerance of any pruning. Thanks to this, the bush can be pruned to obtain any look.

Gardeners and flower growers, using various varieties and cultural characteristics, grow beautiful corners in the southern zone, decorated with richly blooming bougainvillea.

Terry varieties

Double bougainvillea varieties are of particular interest to gardeners because they are lush, evergreen varieties. In nature, there are red, burgundy, purple and other varieties of bougainvillea.

Double Red is a decorative double representative that combines rich green leaves, abundant and dense stems, as well as bright pink or crimson bracts that cover the tree. Due to its beauty, it is valued among flower growers.

Double Pink is another lovely double shrub. The bracts are a delicate pink color that matches the glossy light green foliage.

How to care for bougainvillea when growing indoors

The main rule for keeping bougainvillea in a home climate is to create comfort for the plant, which will ensure long flowering and rich color of the bracts to ensure growth and reproduction.

For normal growth of bougainvillea, care is taken when choosing a soil mixture and a pot in which the flower will be comfortable. Of no small importance are the quality of lighting and the temperature in which the tree is kept.

Illumination

In nature, bougainvillea receives a lot of sun because it lives in the tropical zone. When growing a crop at home, the container with the seedling is placed in a place that is exposed to sunlight for at least a quarter of a day. Bougainvillea is not afraid of direct sunlight on the leaves, so it does not require shelter even on dry days. In case of low lighting, the crop fades and stops growing, and the brightness of the bracts decreases.

Lighting in winter is a prerequisite for the normal existence of bougainvillea. So, even during the dormant period, the bush must be placed in direct sunlight or under an artificial light lamp.

An important rule in growing bougainvillea in a home climate is the fact that the plant does not tolerate constant movement. Therefore, you cannot place the container with the culture in different places in search of what is convenient and comfortable. It is necessary to immediately place the flower in a regular place of growth.

Temperature

The plant is native to tropical zones, therefore it prevails only in warm conditions. The culture does not tolerate temperature changes, so even in the cold season the thermometer mark should not fall below 5 degrees. In summer, the optimal climate is about 25 degrees Celsius, and in winter the plant should be kept warm no more than 15 degrees.

Reducing the temperature during rest is necessary so that the bush can calmly prepare for flowering and lay buds for future flowering. If winter conditions contain higher temperatures, the bougainvillea is provided with sufficient light.

Air humidity

In a home environment, in order to create optimal conditions for bougainvillea, it is worth creating high air humidity. For normal flower growth, regularly spray the air near the crop, and also humidify the air in various ways. Much attention is paid to air humidity during budding.

During the budding period, the crop is no longer sprayed with a spray bottle, since moisture that gets on the flowers and bracts can destroy the buds. In this case, to ensure the importance of air, a tray with water is placed under the pot with the crop.

Watering

During the growth and development of bougainvillea, the plant is provided with abundant regular watering. However, pots with soil should not contain excess moisture, since stagnation of liquid leads to rotting of the roots. It is necessary to water bougainvillea as the top layer of soil dries out.

In the fall, watering is reduced so that the plant stops growing and prepares for hibernation. By frost, watering stops completely. In winter, the plant needs to be watered extremely rarely, no more than twice a month.

Fertilizer

When grown indoors, bougainvillea is regularly fed with liquid fertilizers. At the same time, the fertilizer should contain a large amount of minerals and a minimum amount of nitrogen-containing elements. An excess of nitrogen can lead to the cessation of flowering.

soil mixture

To breed and maintain bougainvillea, a light and well-ventilated substrate is required. When growing at home, some gardeners use soil for flowering crops, which you can buy or make yourself. To prepare the mixture, mix equal parts of turf and garden soil, add some sand and humus. As additional elements, some gardeners add clay, chalk or vermiculite to the soil. For optimal growth, the soil should have an acidity of no more than 6 pH units.

Pot

When growing indoors, great care should be taken when choosing a pot for the plant. In its natural environment, bougainvillea gets along well in a limited space, growing in rocky soil or in a squeezed form. Therefore, when planting bougainvillea at home, choose a small pot.

Plenty of space encourages foliage and stem growth, but it comes at a cost to the intensity and number of flowers. In addition, a large amount of soil leads to souring of the rhizome, which cannot cope with large volumes of soil.

Replanting bougainvillea

When replanting plants, use pots with a diameter larger than the previous one by only a few centimeters. When replanting bougainvillea, take into account the fact that the height of the pot should be greater than its diameter.

After a period of dormancy, the plant requires replanting, since at this time the flower begins to gain its color. When replanting bougainvillea from a pot, carefully remove it with all the substrate. A layer of expanded clay is laid at the bottom of the new pot. Then they fall asleep and moisten the soil. The plant is placed in a new pot along with a lump of earth, since the thin roots are easily broken and damaged.

Bloom

Flower formation occurs in winter; by the beginning of spring, the plant has already spread and opened its bracts. Moreover, some varieties are so covered with stipules that the leaves are not visible.

Young plants require replanting 1-2 times a year. Because intensive growth and the appearance of a large number of rhizomes quickly replace the entire cavity of the pot. Adults do not require frequent replanting - it is enough to change the soil mixture once every 5 years.

The flowering of the inflorescences themselves lasts only a few days, but the bracts protect their beauty for many months. At the same time, some varieties change their shade as the bougainvillea grows.

After flowering, to preserve the decorative appearance, the bracts are removed using scissors. This way new flowering is stimulated. When pruning, you need to leave about 5 shoots on the branch.

Trimming

When caring for bougainvillea, shrub pruning is of great importance. Pruning not only gives the plant a lush, beautiful shape, but also helps stimulate shoots. When pruning, about a third of living young shoots are removed, as well as old and dry branches.

For normal flower development, pruning is carried out three times a year. In the spring, dried shoots are removed, in the summer they stimulate the plant to bloom again, and in the fall, the plant is given its basic shape and the flower is prepared for wintering.

Bougainvillea easily survives pruning, which allows you to give the plant the desired shape. Thus, flower growers give the plant a shrubby appearance, the appearance of a small single-trunk tree. The variety of forms determines the widespread use of bougainvillea among decorators.

An important point when pruning a plant is to preserve about 7 cm of young shoots. This is due to the fact that old shoots often do not wake up from hibernation and stop blooming.

Grafting a different variety

To get a new look, some gardeners graft branches of a different variety onto the plant. In order to get vaccinated, you must:

A deep incision is made on the rootstock with a sterile instrument;
The same tool is used to cut a branch from a bush that will be grafted;
The scion is ground and attached to the hole on the rootstock;
To fix the branch, you must use a plaster or electrical tape.

The fixing material is removed several months after grafting, when the plant has completely grown together.

Care and cultivation at home

In order to ensure normal growth and abundant flowering of bougainvillea, it must be cared for at home. For this purpose, it is recommended to follow several specific rules.

Video: caring for bougainvillea at home.

Watering and fertilizing

During plant growth, the plant needs abundant watering. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the bougainvillea soil dries out a few centimeters.

The culture does not tolerate not only stagnation of water, but also drought. In the latter case, the buds will fall off. During the dormant period, it is correct to water bougainvillea in a smaller volume. But the soil should not be overly dry.

In the spring-autumn period, it is recommended to apply nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. The procedure should be carried out every 2 weeks. During dormancy, bougainvillea needs additional feeding.

Bloom

Bougainvillea blooms a few years after planting. Quite often, flower growers are faced with a lack of flowering on a crop. Why doesn't bougainvillea bloom at home? With large flower sizes, the absence of flowers is quite often observed. If the rest period is improperly organized or absent, this problem can also occur. That is why it is necessary to ensure a temperature in the room of 5-12 degrees.

If there are low temperatures or rain in the summer, this may lead to a lack of flowering. In this case, there is a need for additional heating. To ensure flowering of the crop, it is necessary to completely stop feeding for several weeks and reduce watering.

Wintering

There are certain nuances in caring for bougainvillea at home in winter:

In winter, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering. It is recommended to ensure that the earthen ball does not dry out excessively.
The flower also needs to lower the temperature to 5-12 degrees.
Lighting in winter should be dimmer than in summer.

If you follow these tips, wintering your bougainvillea will be hassle-free.

Pruning and crown formation

Pruning bougainvillea directly affects the appearance of the flower. To stimulate flowering of the crop, the procedure should be carried out in autumn and spring. In summer, cosmetic pruning is recommended. In autumn, it is recommended to trim only the tips of the bougainvillea stems.

During the pre-growing season, selective pruning is recommended. The place of formation of flower buds is young and short shoots. In order to stimulate side shoots, it is necessary to cut off the old branches by about half.

Bougainvillea propagation

If you want to grow bougainvillea, you can use three methods - using cuttings, seeds or air layering.

Cuttings

Propagation of bougainvillea by cuttings is the simplest method of breeding a new individual. To obtain a new bougainvillea, cuttings are selected at the beginning of summer, when the crop has half-strengthened stems covered with bark. To preserve the decorative appearance of an adult, only those branches that do not have flowers or grow inward are allowed for cuttings. Before planting, the cuttings should be cleared of foliage from below, and after planting, the container should be covered with film or a lid.

For quick rooting, before planting, the cut site is treated with charcoal or zirconium. It is necessary to keep the pot with cuttings in a moist, warm and well-lit area. Water the flower regularly. In addition, every day it is necessary to remove the cover from the pot so that the cuttings can be ventilated.

After young leaves appear on the plant and the cuttings increase in growth, the film should be removed. After 5-7 weeks the plant sprouts roots. After this, the flower can be planted in a large pot or in a permanent habitat.

Air layering

The plant is propagated using air layering in any season of active growth. To do this, put the soil mixture for bougainvillea into a pot or other container. The pot is placed next to the main individual.

On the main plant, a long young shoot is selected that does not have bark on the trunk. Several shallow cuts should be made at the intended rooting sites. After that, the place of the cuts is tilted towards the prepared pot and secured to the ground using a pin or other similar tools. It is important that the cutting is close to the soil. After the roots appear, the plant is pruned from the mother plant.

Bougainvillea from seeds

Propagation of bougainvillea from seeds is quite rare, since indoor flowers are rarely pollinated by insects. Even store-bought seeds are quite difficult to germinate.

Sowing of seeds is carried out in late winter - early spring. To do this, the seeds are sown on a layer of fertile, well-drained soil mixture. Seeds should be sown in moist soil. After planting, the pot is covered with film or a transparent lid.

The pot with seedlings should be kept warm, at a temperature of about 25 degrees. The pots are regularly ventilated and watered with a spray bottle. The pot should be in a well-lit place. In winter, for seedlings to appear, the pots are placed under artificial light.

The first seedlings appear only 2-3 months after sowing. After this, the film is removed from the pot. After permanent leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in separate pots. As the flowers grow, the volume of the pot increases by regularly replanting the bushes.

Reproduction

There are three main ways to propagate bougainvillea:

stem cuttings;
air layering;
seeds.

The seed method is the most difficult, since it is almost impossible to obtain seeds in the absence of a pollinator. In the wild, pollinators are hummingbirds, which live only in tropical countries. In temperate climates, the hawk moth can sometimes be a pollinator, but ovary formation occurs very rarely.

Stem cuttings are the most popular and easiest method of propagation. For propagation, summer semi-lignified cuttings cut in June are used. Rooting is carried out at a temperature of 20-25 ° C and high humidity in a mixture of peat and sand. To create optimal conditions, you can use a greenhouse or simply cover the pot with cuttings with a plastic bag.

Reproduction by air layering can be carried out at any time of the year. To do this, place a pot with soil mixture next to the plant, bend down a young non-lignified shoot, pin it to the ground and lightly sprinkle it. At the point of contact with the soil, it is necessary to cause slight damage (scratches, cuts) to stimulate the formation of roots. When the shoot takes root, you can separate the young plant.

Why doesn't bougainvillea bloom?

Some novice gardeners cannot understand why flowers do not appear on bougainvillea for a long time. There may be several reasons for this:

Pot too big;
The flower did not rest over the winter due to improper care conditions;
The plant does not have enough sunlight;
The flower is in a cool place;
The soil is too ozonated.

With proper care, bougainvillea flowers will delight you with long and lush flowering.

Bougainvillea care at home

Bougainvillea - care and maintenance in the apartment requires proper supervision. It's not that difficult. The most important thing is to comply with the basic standards relating to lighting, watering, pruning and replanting.

Lighting

Bougainvillea loves growing in excellent light and does not require darkening; for this reason, a southern window will be perfect for it, where it will be able to enjoy the sun’s rays for at least 4–6 hours. It is possible to install a flower in a loggia, but, of course, the best position for it is a greenhouse with transparent walls or a clear winter garden.

Temperature

Since the plant is tropical, it needs the right temperature. In summer it should be in the region of 22–25 degrees. During the cold season, the flower is in a state of calm, for this reason it must be preserved at 8–12 degrees.

You just need to make sure that the roots don’t freeze or rot; you don’t need to place the pot on the floor or on a cool windowsill.

Watering

In summer, a house plant such as bougainvillea needs to be irrigated 1-2 times a week, care must be taken responsibly so that the soil does not dry out more than 2-3 centimeters, and additionally so that there is no stagnation of water in the pan. On warm days, be sure to spray the branches. In winter, bougainvillea requires almost no watering. You just need to try to see if the soil has dried out.

To avoid this, it is moistened once every 10–15 days. At temperatures of approximately 8 degrees it is possible to do this less frequently. If the air temperature is below 15 degrees, there is no need to spray the flower either.

Feeding and soil

Fertilizers should be applied during the period of active growth, from May to August. It is advised to periodically change organic and mineral fertilizers or use group fertilizers for blooming flowers. It is recommended that phosphorus and potassium dominate in the composition of fertilizers; nitrogen, in turn, increases the growth of pagons due to flowering.

The soil for the bougainvillea bush is forced to release water and air well, therefore it is necessary to provide normal drainage. You can use special soil for bougainvilleas or a spontaneously prepared mixture. The soil for the flower is prepared by mixing 2 parts each of turf and leaf soil and adding 1 part each of sand and humus.

If you properly care for a flower, it can last in the house for many years. In a warm climate zone, where in winter the temperature practically does not drop below 5 degrees Celsius, it is sometimes possible to grow it in the garden in open ground. For the winter, garden bougainvillea, like roses, requires shelter from the cold.

Replanting and pruning

Bougainvillea grows rapidly in indoor conditions, for this reason it sometimes needs picking. The young plant needs to be replanted every year, since its roots grow strongly. Older bougainvillea flowers need picking once every 2–3 years.

The size of the pot does not have to be extremely large, otherwise water will stagnate in it. It’s even safer to take a pot 2–3 centimeters larger than the previous one. It is important to provide good drainage so that water flows well and the roots do not rot. To do this, a layer of expanded clay or crushed brick is laid on the bottom, and earth with a small amount of sand is thrown on top. A plant with a small lump of earth is planted in a prepared container, having carefully checked the roots in advance for the presence of parasites and rot.

Cosmetic trimming can be performed throughout the summer. In addition, separate curves or extremely long processes are expertly eliminated. If you perform cosmetic pruning immediately after flowering, it can prepare for the second birth of flowers.

The spur section is done in the fall or spring. In the fall, you simply need to trim all the branches to half their length. This method will enhance the growth of lateral shoots, and the bush will become thick and lush. In spring, branches should be partially pruned. They remove, first of all, crooked shoots or branches located in the wrong place. Last year's long branches are cut back, and the newest shoots are left, since flowers form on them in the summer.

Household bougainvillea, when pruned correctly, has the ability to develop a crown of very different shapes, which is why the plant is often used in the art of bonsai. If in warm regions the bush grows as a garden or street type, then a remarkable landscape design is formed with it.

Bougainvillea diseases

Bougainvillea is quite unpretentious to growing conditions, however, if the flower is not properly cared for, the plant can get sick.

The leaves are falling

Before wintering, leaf flying is considered normal. However, at other times of the year, the cause of leaves flying may be the presence of drafts or the transfer of bougainvillea from one window to another. In addition, the crop does not tolerate moving well, so the foliage often falls off after purchasing a new individual.

The foliage has faded

Dullness and lethargy of leaves is the first sign of chlorosis. The cause of this condition is considered to be insufficient intake of iron and other minerals into the plant. To return to its previous state, the plant is fed and fertilized with iron-containing fertilizers.

Spots on leaves

The reason for this condition is stagnation of water in the substrate. To eliminate the problem, foliage covered with spots is removed, and the plant is provided with regular watering and ventilation.

Yellowing and leaf loss

The reason is an excessive amount of watering, which leads to souring of the rhizome and the appearance of stagnant moisture. To eliminate this problem, the crop is provided with regular watering, depending on the season and the period of active growth.

Growth has stopped

To stimulate growth, it is necessary to transplant the crop into a larger pot. Because growth stunting often occurs due to insufficient space inside the pot for roots to develop. Growth also stops in old bushes. In this case, it is necessary to propagate the crop to obtain a young plant.

Pests

Bougainvillea is rarely damaged. Sometimes sucking insects appear on the flower, sucking juice and nutrients from the leaves. Bougainvillea pests include aphids, spider mites and powdery mildew. Problems can be eliminated using fungicides.

Pruning and shaping bougainvillea

Pruning is one of the most important aspects of plant care. Pruning is necessary not only to form a beautiful plant, but also to stimulate flowering. This procedure is carried out several times a year. In the spring, pruning is carried out to remove shoots that have dried out over the winter and are weak. In summer, inflorescences that have lost their decorative effect are cut off. Autumn pruning is carried out to give shape. The shoots are shortened by a third of the length or more, and the excess ones are cut out.

Shaping allows you to give the plant a certain appearance. It can be formed as a single-trunked tree, in bonsai style, in the form of a multi-trunked bush, or on a support, giving any fancy shapes depending on its configuration.

Several plants of different colors look extremely decorative, planted in one pot, the shoots of which are intertwined as they grow. Multi-colored plants can also be created by grafting onto a standard.

IMPORTANT! When pruning, it is necessary to leave 5-7 cm of the current year's shoot, because dormant buds on old shoots awaken very difficultly, and new shoots may not form