Bougainvillea

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Bougainvillea is a member of the Niktaginov family or Nicholas. This flower owes its name to a traveler and navigator from France, who was the leader of the first French round-the-world expedition. This flower has spread in the tropics and subtropics. The leaves of the plant are round and ovoid, as well as pubescent. The flowers are rather small in size, accrete and collected in several pieces at the top of the shoots. Also, the flowers have painted rather large bracts.

As for the indoor culture, the most common bougainvillea is naked, the height of such a flower can reach five meters. Small thorns are sometimes found on the branches, and the glossy leaves are clothed in oval shapes. The flowers of this plant have heart-shaped purple or lilac bracts, which gives the flower even greater decorativeness and beauty. It is worth noting that the flowering of this variety is not only very abundant, but also quite long. The flowering period begins around April and lasts until June.

The color of the bracts directly depends on the bougainvellei variety, for example, there are both purple-violet and yellow-orange tones. In hybrid varieties, the bracts can be golden, orange, pink, lilac, or white.

Bougainvillea care

Plants need a bright place, in summer the optimum temperature for growing should not exceed twenty-five degrees, and in winter the thermometer should not fall below twelve degrees. The very colorfulness and saturation of bougainvillea shades will depend on the temperature regime and the degree of color intensity.

In the spring and summer, the flower needs abundant watering, as well as regular spraying. In winter and autumn, watering should be reduced, but the land should not be allowed to dry out, otherwise it will lead to the drying out of the tops of the shoots themselves. When a plant has a period of intense growth, it needs to be fed with organic fertilizers about once every two weeks.

Pruning should be carried out in early spring; it is also permissible to transfer this procedure to the period after flowering. Strong shoots should be cut exactly in half, and weak shoots should be cut off completely. In summer, those branches that have already bloomed should be pruned; no more than six buds can be left. Such measures will greatly contribute to the active growth of new shoots. Many of these shoots are capable of blooming already in the same season, and their flowering will be very lush and beautiful. Those stems that have been growing for more than three years should not be cut out, otherwise you may not wait for new shoots to appear.

In spring, young plants should be transplanted, at intervals of about once a year or two. More mature plants will need to be transplanted every three to five years. In this bougainvillea, the following soil is needed: two parts of leafy land for one part of turf and peat land, as well as one part of sand. Also, the presence of drainage is mandatory for the normal cultivation of a flower.

As for reproduction, at home it occurs due to the apical cuttings. These cuttings should be cut in February or March. If there are two to four buds on the cuttings, then they should be rooted in loose soil, which will consist of equal amounts of sand and leafy earth. Moreover, such rooting will last for one month, and the temperature should be kept from twenty-five to twenty-eight degrees Celsius. The cuttings can then be transplanted into separate pots filled with an earthy mixture. Such plants should be kept in a lighted place where the temperature does not exceed eighteen degrees.