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In nature, spectacular bougainvilleas are large plants that feel at ease in the warm climate of South America. Success in growing this crop at home depends on the knowledge of the characteristics of the plant and its preferences.
The main interest in bougainvillea is caused by its flowering. But not everyone knows that the white, purple, yellow and pink clusters at the ends of the shoots are not flowers, but modified leaves or bracts that surround the very modest, almost imperceptible, true flowers of the plant. Each yellowish-white corolla has three heart-shaped bracts up to 6 cm in length.
If the florist notices that his pet bougainvillea loses leaves at home, or bright bracts are showered from the plant, most often the cause of the problem is changing maintenance conditions.
To provoke a change of state can:
- the transfer of a plant from the open air, where it was in the warm season, to an apartment;
- flower relocation from the store to the house;
- seasonal change in temperature and humidity conditions in the apartment.
Usually, when other growing conditions are observed, bougainvillea quickly acclimatizes and leaves again, producing new colored brushes.
But in some cases the problem is not solved by itself, and the bougainvillea requires increased attention from the grower.
Why does bougainvillea drop foliage?
In addition to the change of location, the reason for the deterioration of the well-being of room culture are drafts. Bougainvillea sharply reacts to the movement of cold air jets. This applies to:
- wind blowing a flower in the garden, on the balcony or on the loggia in the summer;
- situation when bougainvillea at home is at the open window or under the transom.
Pushing to drop foliage can transfer a pot to another window, as well as turning the container with a plant preparing for flowering.
Not less dangerous for bougainvillea violation of irrigation regime.
It is important to remember that warm weather and an active vegetation process require maintaining a constant soil moisture. Equally dangerous is the drying of the root system, and its gulf, when moisture stagnates in the pan and the soil inside the pot.
Since bougainvilleas at this time need less moisture, watering in the winter is needed more stingy and sparse. If the plant is regularly poured, answer the question: “How much does the of have a boogerville or foliage?” Is very simple. The root system does not have time to absorb the incoming moisture, metabolic processes are disturbed. As a result - yellowing and fading leaves on a newly green plant.
Similar processes are produced if the culture receives less water. With limited nutrition, leaves with bougainvillea fall green. The same fate awaits covering the ends of the branches with bracts.
Like cold drafts, dry, hot air coming from heating devices is dangerous for bougainvillea at home. Extremely negative air dryness affects the gentle shoots formed in early spring. Even on the remaining branches alive deformed defective bracts and leaves are formed.
Like other indoor cultures, bougainvillea is affected by sucking insect pests that weaken the plant. Of particular danger are spider mites, with a low humidity of the air attacking the flower in room conditions. When the garden content for plants dangerous scale insects, aphids, eating green caterpillars and whiteflies.
E If a plant is brought to a loggia or garden in the summer, you need to carefully monitor night temperature fluctuations. In August and September, when the air is cooled to +5 ° C, the bougainvillea can freeze and lose not only the foliage, but also some of the young shoots.
Why does bougainvillea not bloom at home?
A green copy of bougainvillea can also cause anxiety to a grower due to the lack of flowering or his poverty. Keeping the plant in a small pot pushes it to the appearance of buds, and the bulk “for growth” container causes the healthy flower to “grow fat” and refuse to bloom.
The reason why bougainvillea does not bloom in indoor conditions can be an irregular rest period or lack of it. Being in a room where it is warmer than 10–12 ° C, bougainvillea reluctantly lays the bud rudiments, so it’s not worth waiting for the beautiful flowering next season.
Likewise, cool rainy weather during the summer adversely affects the quality of flowering. Moreover, even the formed bracts are more faded than usual coloring.
In addition to the fading of the bracts, the lack of light causes the shoots to stretch, the loss of the plant form, which is carefully supported by pruning. This circumstance becomes especially unpleasant for owners of bonsai grown on the basis of bougainvillea.
Sometimes the reason why bougainvillea does not bloom at home is still unknown. But you can activate the formation of buds, if you arrange a small flower "diet."Depending on the condition of the plant and its size for 2-4 weeks, stop feeding and limit watering. A portion of water is given to the plant only after the upper layer of the soil dries out. The signal that the bougainvillea is ready to bloom is the formation of young shoots with flower buds at the ends. After this, fertilizing and watering are still resumed.
Pruning bougainvillea in
home spring bougainvillea room is subjected to the forming pruning, during which remove all loose or dried up shoots, and full annual branches are cut by half the length.
In the summer, in order to maintain decorativeness and simplify care, bougainvilleas shorten the flowering shoots, leaving 4–6 buds to them. This measure helps to increase the growth of young shoots, which already this season can open new flowers.
Lignified shoots older than 3–4 years should not be cut off, because the buds on the adult branches either do not awaken at all, or do it very reluctantly.
Due to the ease with which bougainvillea transfers pruning at home, not only compact bushes are grown on the basis of this crop, but also graceful standard trees and spectacular bonsai are cultivated with the help of forming measures. No less interesting are the compositions where bougainvilleas witness curly frames, decorative lattices or trellis.
