Bougainvillea is a native of Brazil. This plant may look like a liana or a shrub with widely spread branches, in some cases it may look more like a miniature tree. Around small, rather inconspicuous, flowers that have a yellowish-white color, there are three fairly long bracts. They can be of various colors and shapes. Many people mistakenly consider bracts to be plant flowers and admire their "bloom".
Bougainvillea at home is quite malleable to pruning. Since it has a flexible stem, this plant is very easy to shape with a pruner. You can grow a liana or a bonsai tree at home.
Bougainvillea. Care
This plant is planted mainly in large tubs or directly into the ground. This is very convenient if the cultivation of bougainvillea is planned in a winter garden or greenhouse. Trees of various varieties look very beautiful, planted in one container or grafted onto one trunk.
Temperature and lighting
It is preferable to choose a warm sunny place when growing a plant. During flowering, the temperature should beabove 22 degrees Celsius. In winter, the temperature is usually reduced to +10, +12 degrees. Lowering the temperature in the future will have a good effect on the flowering of the plant. If you do not provide coolness in winter, then it does not matter if bougainvillea grows. At the same time, care will become problematic, since the plant will not go into a dormant period. As a result, bougainvillea will get tired, she will not have the strength to bloom.
Irrigation
Watering should be moderate, so that there is no excessive moisture or, conversely, dryness. If water remains in the pan, then it must be poured out. In winter, they are rarely watered, especially if the air temperature is lowered to + 10 … + 12 degrees. Bougainvillea prefers high humidity. Home care will also consist in the fact that when spraying the plant, water does not fall on the bracts. In winter (during the dormant period), it is permissible that a light shower from a spray gun be arranged for her, since at this time the air is very dry in the rooms, and this adversely affects the state of bougainvillea. But do not get carried away, as excess moisture can lead to a number of fungal diseases.
Soil and transplant
When growing bougainvillea, care must be taken that it is planted in nutritious, fertile soil mixed with coarse sand. Transplantation occurs in young plants every two years, and in adults - once every three to five years. The capacity for this is chosen a little more than the previous one. When replanting plants, the old lump is not destroyed, but together with the lump they are planted in a new land. In order not to rot the roots, drainage from expanded clay or broken bricks is placed at the bottom of the pot. It has been noticed that bougainvillea does not bloom as abundantly in very spacious pots.
Care: pruning and reproduction
After flowering, young branches are pruned, leaving a few buds for the active growth of new shoots. Branches that are more than 3 years old are not touched. Spring and summer - the period of reproduction of the plant by cuttings of green shoots. Having cut off the stalk under the kidney, it is treated with a growth stimulator. Leaves are cut off and planted in a mixture of sand and peat. You can plant it in a greenhouse, or you can just cover it with a jar on top. The cuttings should stand in a bright place. The plant takes root for about a month.
Propagate plants and layering. In an apartment, this method gives the greatest guarantee of rooting. They take a flexible, still young, but already ripe stem, pre-make incisions on the bark in several places and pin it to the ground. After rooting, cut it off from the mother shoot.
A luxurious plant whose beauty can be admired year after year is bougainvillea. Care will be a joy for her if you follow some rules for keeping her in the apartment.
