How to prune bougainvillea?

Bougainvillea is a favorite of many flower lovers. Its flowers are colorful, with a wide variety of varieties and colors, and have extremely high ornamental value. During the maintenance process, reasonable pruning is the key. Proper pruning can not only promote its normal flowering, but also make its flowers flourish. Let’s learn how to prune bougainvillea.

How to prune bougainvillea?

Pruning bougainvillea is not complicated and is usually done after the flowering period ends. After pruning, bougainvillea can recover quickly and bloom again. The specific operation method is: remove thin branches, cut off the newly grown branches at the bottom, appropriately shorten the overly long branches, and retain healthy and strong branches. After pruning, with proper watering, fertilization and light, the bougainvillea will sprout new buds and bloom again.

However, some bougainvilleas only grow branches but do not bloom. In this case, pinching will not solve the problem. The correct approach is to perform strong pruning, supplement with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate, 2 to 3 times a month, place it in an environment with sufficient light, and control water moderately.

Don't rush to water when the pot is completely dry and the leaves begin to wilt. You can water the plant moderately at night to revitalize it within an hour or two, then let its leaves wilt the next day, and repeat this cycle for about a month. As long as the pruning is done properly, the new buds on the old branches will directly form flower buds. Once flower buds appear, stop controlling water, water thoroughly when the soil in the pot is half dry, continue to place it in a place with sufficient light, and continuously fertilize with potassium dihydrogen phosphate to promote the blooming of bougainvillea flowers .

When caring for bougainvillea, remember to choose a pot of the right size, use well-breathed soil, and ensure adequate light. In addition, when using high- phosphorus fertilizers for a long time, you should choose fertilizers with high phosphorus content and balanced other elements. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate is suitable for use during the initial flowering promotion.

How to grow bougainvillea so that it blooms more?

When planting, it is recommended to choose a flower pot with a smaller diameter and avoid using a deep pot, because a smaller flower pot is more conducive to water control and helps the bougainvillea to bloom. As for the soil, you should choose a medium with good air permeability. If you can't find the ideal soil, you can mix half river sand into the ordinary soil to ensure good air permeability and drainage, so that the bougainvillea can continue to bloom beautiful flowers.

Bougainvillea is a light-loving plant that needs plenty of sunlight regardless of spring, summer, autumn or winter. The more sunlight it gets, the more vigorously it grows and the more abundantly it blooms. In addition, proper watering and fertilization are also key. When fertilizing, you should choose a fertilizer with high phosphorus content and balanced nutrition, such as Huaduoduo No. 2, and apply it 2 to 3 times a month to ensure the nutrient needs of the plant.

In terms of watering, Bougainvillea is relatively drought-resistant and there is no need to worry too much about drought problems. The principle of watering is to wait until the soil in the pot is completely dry, and when the leaves begin to wilt slightly, water them thoroughly all at once. This watering method can effectively promote flowering. When flower buds appear between the leaves and stems, you can follow the principle of watering the potting soil thoroughly when it is half dry to allow the flowers to fully bloom. After the flowers fade, continue this watering method and the bougainvillea will bloom again.

In short, as long as you master these basic principles, your bougainvillea will thrive and bloom continuously. I hope these methods can help you better care for bougainvillea.