The basic requirements of the bougainvillea
Anyone who is toying with the idea of keeping a bougainvillea should be aware of its origin. As with other plants, this results in their needs and also tricks on how best to treat them. The bougainvillea comes from a small Andean region between Equador and Brazil, where there is a subtropical climate. It is therefore a sun worshiper, needs a lot of warmth and reacts strongly to the change of moisture and dryness.
also read
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The key data of the needs of bougainvilleas are:
- great hunger for light
- high heat demand
- sensitive reaction to moisture and dryness
Requirements for successful cultivation
Enough warmth
First of all, this results in the following necessities: The bougainvillea cannot be planted outdoors in our country - our winter months are much too cold for it. In the bucket, however, you can still let them climb wonderfully over a heat-storing wall or wooden trellis over the summer. In winter it must be put into winter quarters in good time. Here she is allowed to spend her resting phase at around 5 to 15 ° C.
Lots of light
Brightness is another must - pure sun is best for you. It is best to place your bougainvillea next to a large, south-facing window that ensures unrestricted sunlight throughout the day if possible. Of course, a winter garden is even better. If the bougainvillea moves outside in summer, a sunny terrace or a south-facing balcony is ideal for it.
The right substrate
Bougainvilleas are sensitive to waterlogging. So put them in a permeable substrate made of mineral-rich potting soil, which they loosen up with lava granules (€ 10.95 at Amazon *) and quartz sand (€ 14.90 at Amazon *), for example. In order to provide it with a permanent, slowly consuming source of nutrients, you can add a handful of horn shavings (€ 6.39 at Amazon *) to the substrate.
Repot regularly
In order to achieve good growth and beautiful flowering, you should adjust the tub of your bougainvillea at regular intervals. The following applies: In order to cultivate the plant to a beautiful size, it needs more space for the formation of its root ball. If, on the other hand, you want to kindle your popular fireworks display, a short base is advantageous, as the plant then focuses less on its growth.
So if you want to raise your bougainvillea first, give it more space and repot it early rather than late. When it has developed vigorously and has potential for a splendid blooming spectacle, you can be stingy with the pot size. In general, caution should be exercised when repotting. The root ball of the bougainvillea is not particularly robust and should be treated as gently as possible. Rough pulling and tugging is therefore taboo - it is better to sacrifice the pot.
Fertilize
After wintering, the bougainvillea comes into its main vegetation phase over the light-rich half of the year. Meanwhile, you should fertilize them regularly. At the beginning of the vegetation phase you can strengthen the bougainvillea with a universal liquid fertilizer every one to two weeks. When it is ready to flower, a special fertilizer for flowering container plants with potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen is recommended.
Pour wisely
According to its subtropical home with dry and rainy seasons, the bougainvillea reacts strongly to the supply of water or to its lack of water. Basically, it is important not to let them dry out. But you should also avoid waterlogging.
After hibernating, start watering gently
After being brought out of the winter quarters, the bougainvillea usually needs some time to sprout. Here you shouldn't try to stimulate them by overwatering. When it is ready, the plant itself shows you that it has got its metabolism up to speed by keeping its base dry.
Stimulate flowering through the dry phase
A little tip on watering practice: When the bougainvillea has reached the full vegetation phase, you can stimulate a burst of flowers with a short drying phase and subsequent watering. They use the subtropical background of the plant and its adaptation to rainy and dry seasons.
cut
The bougainvillea grows fairly quickly - regular pruning is therefore absolutely necessary. Two cuts per year are recommended - one cut back before moving into the winter home and one fine cut in spring. The main purpose of cutting back for winter is to save space in the winter quarters - here you simply remove the long shoots.
When moving out in spring, proceed more precisely and pull out all dead, i.e. the very dry branches. Depending on the growth (trunk, shrub, espalier tendril) you can also gently shape them.
Pest Control
Basically, the bougainvillea is quite insensitive to pest infestation. Occasionally, scale insects or mites can appear - if this happens during the vegetation phase, you should not use spray, as the flowers do not tolerate it. It is better to use a means that you add to the irrigation water.
