Bougainvillea: all about planting and reproduction, caring for a flower at home

Bougainvillea is an evergreen shrub. It is rarely found in private houses and apartments, which is explained by the difficulty in caring for a plant at home. Despite this, the plant is characterized by a rather attractive appearance, which makes it possible to decorate the design of any room with its help.

Bougainvillea description

Bougainvillea belongs to the nectagin family. This plant has a second name "paper flower". Despite the fact that the culture grows in natural conditions in Brazil, it is characterized by the presence of a French name. This is due to the fact that it was the French who first discovered this plant in nature.

Today, there are more than 14 types of flowers.Under natural conditions, the culture most often grows in the form of a shrub. The branches can be up to 5 meters in length. Adult lianas are characterized by the presence of lignified branches. The culture is characterized by the presence of thorns. The foliage of the plant is characterized by a smooth surface and slightly pointed ends.

The culture is characterized by the presence of small yellow flowers. The bracts are painted in a bright color, which provides the plant with an attractive appearance. At home, the most common cultivation is smooth bougainvillea, which is characterized by a low height. The cultivation and maintenance of the plant can be carried out in different areas, which are characterized by temperatures of more than +5 degrees.

Plant varieties

Bougainvillea is characterized by the presence of several varieties. Below you can find information on the most popular bougainvillea varieties:

• Astra Gold. This variety is characterized by the presence of double bracts. During the flowering period, they have an orange tint, and after a certain time, they are salmon.
• Astra pink. This variety has coral pink bracts and is characterized by abundant flowering.
• Vlack India Red. This crop is characterized by a dark green leaf. It also has raspberry-purple bracts.
• California Gold. This culture has large and non-double bracts. Initially, they have a bright yellow color, which becomes lighter after a certain time.

Due to the large number of bougainvillea varieties,opportunitychoicemostacceptableoptions for a florist.

Growing conditions

Conditions	Requirements
Lighting	Culture loves bright but diffused light. It is also possible to plant a flower in partial shade. This lighting mode must be provided in the spring and summer. During the dormant period, the plant is provided with five hours of daylight. Cultivation is best done on the south or west windows. To get enough sunlight and air, the plant is recommended to be taken outside in the summer. In order to avoid the appearance of burns on the leaves, it is necessary to limit the possibility of direct sunlight on the plant.
Temperature	The cultivation and maintenance of bougainvillea should be carried out at an optimal temperature, which is 22-30 degrees. During rest, it is recommended to maintain a temperature of 5-7 degrees. Against this background, the leaves of the plant begin to fall off, which is a natural process. That is why new leaves appear on the bush next year. At temperatures less than 4 degrees, the death of the culture is observed.
Humidity	The plant does not like excessively high temperatures. That is why in the summer it is recommended to carry out regular spraying of the flower. Water procedures are recommended in the morning.

Subject to the conditions for proper maintenance and care of bougainvillea in an apartment, the plant will delight with its beauty.

Planting and transplanting

A bougainvillea transplant is recommended when the soil in the flowerpot becomes thinner or when there is not enough space. Under such conditions, transplantation, as an element of care, is irreplaceable. Transplanting young crops should be done every two years. Before planting, it is recommended to prepare a soil mixture from:

• Peat;
• Sand;
• Sod land;
• Humus.

All components are taken in equal amounts and mixed thoroughly. Also for this purpose, the use of a special substrate is allowed. To ensure the normal development of the root system, it is recommended to select a deep pot.

Important! A bougainvillea transplant should be carried out in the spring.

• Initially, high-quality watering of the soil in a pot is carried out.
• Drainage from broken brick, expanded clay or coarse sand is poured into the bottom of the new tank.
• A small amount of the substrate is poured on top.
• The soil is loosened along the edge of the flowerpot, which will allow you to more accurately pull the flower out of it.
• The roots of the plant are cleaned of soil and carefully examined.
• The plant is set upright.
• The root system of bougainvillea is sprinkled with soil mixture.

Home care and cultivation

In order to ensure normal growth and abundant flowering of bougainvillea, it must be looked after at home. For this purpose, it is recommended to follow a few specific rules.

Video: caring for bougainvillea at home.

Watering and feeding

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

Culture does not tolerate not only stagnant water, but also drought. In the latter case, the buds will fall off. During the rest period, it is correct to water the bougainvillea in a smaller volume. But, the land should not be excessively dry.

In the spring-autumn period, it is recommended to apply nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. The procedure should be performed every 2 weeks. During rest, bougainvillea must be additionally fed.

Bloom

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

Low temperatures or rainfall during the summer may result in a lack of flowering. In this case, there is a need for additional heating. To ensure the 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. In this case, it is recommended to ensure that the earthen lump does not dry out excessively.
• Also, the flower needs to lower the temperature to 5-12 degrees.
• Lighting in winter should be dimmer than in summer.

If you follow these tips, then wintering bougainvillea will pass without hassle.

Pruning and shaping the crown

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

In the pre-growing season, selective pruning is recommended. The flower buds are formed on young and short shoots. In order to stimulate the lateral shoots, it is necessary to cut the old branches by about half.

Diseases and pests

With improper home care for bougainvillea, the development of various diseases and pests can be observed on it:

Name	Development features
Mold	It is characterized by the appearance of soft white spots on the foliage. The onset of the disease is observed with excessive humidity and poor ventilation. In this case, it is necessary to rearrange the flower in a room that is well ventilated.
Aphid	The appearance of aphids on bougainvillea is observed from the underside of the leaf. In this case, discoloration, twisting and falling of the foliage is observed. The flower must be washed with soapy water and treated with an insecticide. The ideal option in this case is Actellik.
Mealybug	Damage to pedicels, buds and flowers is observed. These small sedentary insects lead to a slowdown in crop growth. If accumulations of pests are noticeable, then they must be removed with soapy water, in which the sponge is pre-moistened.If they are observed in a hard-to-reach place, then the treatment is carried out with gauze, which is wound on a stick and pre-moistened in alcohol. It is also recommended to trim the damaged parts of the flower.

Resuscitation

To save bougainvillea with damaged roots, you need to carefully remove the plant from the pot and wash it. Damaged plant roots are cut off and covered with wood ash. Thus, bougainvillea is reanimated.

If the bougainvillea is accidentally broken, then you need to carefully trim it. Over time, it will sprout new shoots.

Reproduction

There are three ways bougainvillea propagates:

• Seeds;
• Cuttings;
• Layers.

Seed propagation

The first method of propagation of bougainvillea is quite difficult, since not every grower can get seeds from warm countries.

If you have bougainvillea seeds, you need to plant them correctly at home. For this purpose, loose soil or peat tablets are used. After planting, the container with seeds should be in a room with a temperature of 25 to 28 degrees. The emergence of seedlings is rather slow.

Propagation by cuttings

Reproduction of bougainvillea by cuttings is carried out in the spring. Florists are planting strong and healthy semi-lignified apical cuttings, the length of which is from 7 to 10 centimeters.

How to propagate bougainvillea by cuttings?

• After removing the leaves from the cutting, it must be soaked in a special solution that will promote the formation of the root system.
• After half an hour, the cuttings are planted in the ground. Also for this purpose, peat tablets can be used.
• After the formation of roots, after several months, the cuttings are planted in separate pots.

Video: grafting bougainvillea.

Reproduction by layering

In the autumn, layering is used for propagation of bougainvillea. Thanks to the elastic branches of the plant, it can be easily bent to the soil. The layering is fixed with a metal pin. After the roots appear, the cuttings are cut off from the main plant and transplanted into another pot.

Video: how best to propagate bougainvillea - in water or soil.

Graft

To obtain original new varieties of culture, it is recommended to inoculate bougainvillea. For this purpose, a double-folded thick thread, a scalpel, medical glue and Fitosporin... A shallow lateral incision is made on the scion. The graft is cut with a sharp wedge and inserted into the cut. The scion is glued with medical glue and fixed with a thread.

Bougainvillea is an amazingly beautiful flower. Despite certain difficulties in growing and caring for home, the plant is the dream of any grower, since it can be used to decorate the interior of any room.