How to fertilize potted bougainvillea

Myth

Bougainvillea tends to grow tall and heavy, but is also resistant to barrenness. Some people believe that if too much fertilizer is applied, it will grow tall and heavy and have difficulty blooming, while others believe that if it is resistant to barrenness, less fertilizer should be applied or even it should be avoided. This is a huge misunderstanding

Bougainvillea is very resistant to fertilizer and is a plant that is sensitive to nitrogen, organic matter, phosphorus and potassium. With sufficient fertilizer, the leaves will be dark green and thick, the photosynthesis will be strong, more nutrients will be accumulated, the branches will mature quickly, the flower buds will differentiate more and earlier, and the flowers will be more colorful and long-lasting.

In fact, using paclobutrazol when applying fertilizer and frequently pinching the tops can effectively control excessive growth and achieve easy control without destroying the plant shape and promoting flower bud differentiation.

What fertilizer to apply

It must be mainly based on farmyard manure and organic fertilizer, combined with 15% compound fertilizer. If you have a garden at home and have more space for growing flowers, you can consider making your own fertilizer.

Choose a few large wooden barrels to ferment the soluble garbage in life (leftover food, animal offal, vegetable roots, leaves, dead flowers and leaves, chicken manure, bean cakes, etc.). The retting process takes place in the garden so as not to impact the environment.

Half a month later, the farm manure was ready. The decomposed fertilizer water is then stored in plastic barrels, trying not to produce odor that would affect neighbors.

Fertilization method

Fertilization in spring

You can start fertilizing when new buds sprout in spring. At this time, because the roots are just beginning to grow and are relatively tender, and the temperature is not very stable, you can just water them with a little light fertilizer water. Before applying fertilizer, loosen the 2~3 inches of soil on the surface of the potting soil, add a small amount of paclobutrazol to the fertilizer water, and apply it together.

Fertilize during the growing season

As the new shoots grow bigger and the leaf area increases, if there is less soil in the pot and insufficient fertilizer, the plants will grow poorly. May and June are the peak growth seasons, and fertilizer should be applied frequently, once every half a month, and the concentration can be slightly higher. After each fertilization, you must cover it with clean water to reduce odor, replenish moisture, and facilitate absorption.

Bougainvillea fertilizer dosage

The amount of fertilizer and water used for each plant should be enough to water it thoroughly without overflowing. Concentration: one ratio of fertilizer water to clean water. If the plant is a small seedling, the ratio should be one to two to avoid root damage and seedling burn.

If compound fertilizer is used, the maximum concentration should not exceed 1 to 500 times, and 800 to 1000 times is better.

Notes on fertilizing bougainvillea

Fertilize according to the weather

When the weather is sunny and the soil in the pot is dry, apply fertilizer. When the weather is cold and the temperature is below 12 degrees, do not apply fertilizer as the roots cannot absorb it.

Seedlings and fertilization

If the plant is growing well, no fertilizer is needed or less fertilizer is applied. Do not apply fertilizer, do not water or water less during the water control period.

Fertilize according to the flowers

Before flowering, when buds appear, heavy fertilizer should be applied, combined with the use of paclobutrazol to prevent the inflorescence from being too long and too scattered. At the same time, it is also conducive to the emergence and brightness of the inflorescence.