When is the best time to prune bougainvillea?

Bougainvillea Overview

Bougainvillea can bloom continuously from November to June of the following year. In winter and spring, it is a sea of ​​colorful flowers, so it is also named Hechunhong. It likes warm and humid environment and is not cold-resistant. Except for the southern region of China, it can be cultivated in the open field over the winter. Other regions need to take measures to keep warm. Loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam is most suitable.

Bougainvillea pruning time

1. Bougainvillea can be pruned once before budding in spring from March to April, and branches that are not suitable for shaping needs can be cut off, such as old and weak branches, dead branches, leggy branches, and crossed branches. It can also be pruned frequently after budding. After the flowering period, the pedicels should be cut off, the branches of the flower branches should be retracted to one-third, and appropriate thinning should be carried out.

2. Bougainvillea grows vigorously from June to August. Sufficient fertilizer should be applied during the period of branch growth, because the overgrown branches caused by excessive fertilizer should be cut off in time, and branches that are too long should also be shortened.

3. After the beginning of autumn, bougainvillea enters the natural differentiation period of flower buds. No pruning is needed at this time, otherwise it will affect flowering. Pruning can be done once when repotting in winter.

Bougainvillea pruning method

The growth rate of Bougainvillea is relatively slow. It can be pruned during the growth period to stimulate the sprouting of new buds at the incision. This method is generally aimed at new branches. Light pruning and heavy pruning can be performed. Light pruning should cut off about one-third of the branches.

Bougainvillea has luxuriant branches and leaves, and the overlapping branches affect ventilation and light transmission, which is not conducive to internal growth. It will also cause more diseases and pests, so thinning is needed, mainly to cut off dense branches, crossed branches, overlapping branches, etc. Old branches do not bloom much, so they can be shortened to retain weak branches.

Notes on pruning bougainvillea

Bougainvillea will enter a dormant state in winter and basically stop growing. At this time, in order to reduce the loss of nutrients, you can cut the thick branches short and cut off the thin branches. This will reduce the consumption of nutrients and allow it to spend the winter safely. In spring, it will continue to grow and bloom.