A Guide to Caring for Bougainvillea

These beautiful plants are widespread across all of the southern countries near the Mediterranean Sea, and you will see them in abundance all around Greece, Spain, France. Italy and Turkey but they are native to warmer climes around the whole of South America, an popular around Australia too.

Position

Through the warmer months when the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 8 degrees Celsius, these stunning plants can live outside in the sunniest spot in the garden, The more hours of direct sunshine these plants get, the more frequently and heavier they flower.

However, in winter as the night time temperatures start to drop to 8 degrees Celsius or below, you will want to bring the plant indoors, a cool conservatory is ideal, or in front of a south facing window, as they will still need lots of light the more light they receive the longer the flowering period.

Bougainvillea will do well in a bright conservatory all year if you do not want to keep moving them.

Watering

Bougainvillea are a little similar to citrus in their watering needs, they prefer that the soil dries between watering, in a smaller pot through the heat of summer, you may still need to water every other day, but through winter it may only need watering once every few weeks, so always wait until the top soil is very dry before you water and you cannot go far wrong.

Always put enough water through the pot so that all the excess water starts to drip through the drainage holes and allow any excess to drain away from the root ball, they do not like sitting in water.

Potting on

Because these plants grow so much in a year you will need to pot on your plant to one or two pots sizes larger than the original planting pot each year, the best time to do this is in March-April before it starts to bloom. Typically look for a pot that is no more than one inch larger in diameter than the current pot size. Use a fast-draining soil that is suitable for container plants and add 1 part perlite to 4 parts soil, to help keep the plant lightweight and extra fast draining. Always mix the two together well before using to pot on so it can drain through evenly. Best to handle perlite outdoors as it is very dry and best not to inhale the dust.

Pruning and regular deadheading

It is best to dead head the plant regularly as soon as they blooms have faded and fallen from the plant cut back the flower spike right back to where it has grown from otherwise your plant will be covered in sharp spikes.

Bougainvillea flower on this year’s growth so it is important to give them reasonable prune back in late winter or very early spring time for the first few years until you have a good strong base in the shape you like. You can Leave a few longer older stems to form the base of the structure from where the rest of the plant will grow from, approximately around 12 – 18 inches long, then remove quite a few of the thinner crossing branches to thin out the plant cutting these right back to where they have grown from, this will make lots of space in and around the plant for new growth. This is also a good time to think about the trellis if you plan on giving it a larger trellis to grow through. Typically, after the winter has passed and the plant has been pot on and pruned back it will very shortly start putting on masses of foliage growth all over.

If your leaves look very tired and you have had the plant for several years you can still prune it back but instead of reducing the height of the plant all over, you can simply remove some of the uglier crossing branches to thin out the plant and give it a tidy up around the top section. Pruning at the right time of year often encourages a mass of new growth.

Feeding

Bougainvillea are not particularly greedy plants, and they do best and flower much more, if you keep them a tad hungry, a repot in spring and a weak balanced fertiliser once every other week should be enough to keep your plant flowering for months on end. You will need to use a fertiliser that is suited to flowering and fruiting plants, we use half dose of our citrus winter fertiliser as it is completely balanced. But you can use a tomato fertiliser if you have it. If you start to get a lot of new growth but no flowers, the fertiliser that you are using is too high in nitrogen, so stop using the fertiliser give the plant a rest from feeding for a month or two and then switch over to citrus winter fertiliser or tomato fertiliser and it should start flowering again soon.

How to care for Bougainvillea in the winter

Through winter you will get some foliage drop and the plant will naturally thin out and not look as abundant or vibrant, they are not true evergreen plants here in the UK so most of the foliage will get tired and eventually fall from your plant. Bougainvillea will not need feeding or as much water from late November through till February, so only water when the soil has dried out. As they rest it is a good time to get them back in shape for next year, so do take the opportunity to tidy the plant up.

• 

  It is quite natural for Bougainvillea to lose most of their leaves in winter

• 

  The foliage that remains will look a bit tired so take the opportunity to give your plant a light tidy up

• 

  After they have rested over the winter, new leaf growth begins to emerge in spring

Buy Bougainvillea Online

At Plants4Presents, we pride ourselves on offering only the finest Bougainvillea plants, expertly trained and beautifully presented to create a stunning display. Available in impressive large pyramids, elegant smaller trellis forms, classic bush shapes, and in a choice of vibrant colour combinations, our Bougainvillea make impressive gifts. Perfect for summer patios, balconies, terraces and conservatories, these striking plants provide long lasting, vivid colour throughout the warmer months. When you choose a Bougainvillea from Plants4Presents, you can be confident you’re sending a superb specimen, carefully packaged and delivered to your loved one’s doorstep looking absolutely fabulous.

• 

  Bougainvillea Bush

  Choose Bougainvillea Bushes for compact and windowsill spaces. A beautiful, easy way to enjoy vibrant colour in a more petite form

  Buy Now

• 

  Bougainvillea Pyramids

  Bougainvillea Pyramids make a lasting impression. Ideal for milestone birthdays, anniversaries and special celebrations!

  Buy Now

• 

  Colourful Bougainvillea

  Sunshine yellow Bougainvillea is just one of the many fabulous colours we offer, including pink, orange, white, and traditional purple glabra

  Buy Now

Bougainvillea Care Frequently Asked Questions

How long do they flower?

Bougainvillea will start flowering from as early as March- April here in the UK and with a sunny year and the plant having access to the most amount of direct light available through the day, they can flower up to the end of November even into December. In our nursery some varieties, like the purple glabra can flower nearly all year long.

How often should I water my Bougainvillea?

Bougainvillea prefer a deep but infrequent watering schedule. Allow the top few centimetres of soil to dry out before watering again. Overwatering can lead to root rot and fewer blooms, so it’s better to err on the drier side once established.

Why isn’t my Bougainvillea flowering?

Bougainvillea needs plenty of bright sunlight, at least 6 hours a day, to produce vibrant blooms. Insufficient light, overwatering, or high nitrogen fertiliser can reduce flowering. Regular sunshine usually encourages more colourful bracts.

Can Bougainvillea be grown indoors?

Yes, but only in a very bright spot, such as near a south facing window or in a conservatory. Bougainvillea indoors still needs strong light and good air circulation. If light levels are low, the plant may grow foliage but produce few flowers.

How do I protect my Bougainvillea in winter?

Bougainvillea is not frost tolerant. Move potted plants indoors or to a sheltered greenhouse area before temperatures drop below 10 °C.