Bogumila(Bougainvillea)

Care & growing tips for your Bougainvillea:

Exposure:

Bougainvillea wants a minimum of vi hours of full sun daily to flower copiously and appearance its best. This plant loves the heat too. No enough sun = not enough color. If you live where it’s borderline zones hardy (see zones below), planting a bougainvillea against a warm wall will help.

Hardiness:

This plant is hardy from USDA zones 9b – 11. It doesn’t like to go below 30 degrees F and definitely not for a prolonged period of time. 1 or 2 random nights around freezing will be okay. Older, established bougainvilleas will stand up to a freeze far better than fresh planted ones. Many varieties will lose part or all of their leaves in climates with winters on the cooler end of the spectrum. Remember, this is one plant that loves sun and heat!

Water:

When it involves watering, bougainvillea is pretty drought tolerant once established. It prefers a good, deep watering every 3-4 weeks rather than frequent shallow waterings. When establishing, be sure to give yours regular water. It’s subject to a few types of root rots so don’t over water. The soil ought to be drained which can facilitate stop rot. I plan on doing a post and video on how to plant bougainvillea so I’ll go into the topic of soil more in depth there. Another result of too much water – more green growth and less flowers. No thank you, flowers please.

Fertilizer:

I’ve ne'er fertilised bougainvilleas, either when planting or as part of maintenance. I always feed them with compost, a good dose upon planting and a 3″ topping every late winter/early spring every year or 2. I used to work at a nursery in Berkeley where a grower recommended fertilizing them with a palm and hibiscus food. This flower food would be another option if you feel yours needs fertilizing to up the ante on the bloom. Be sure to follow the directions on the box – an application once or twice a year will be just fine.

Pests:

In my Santa Barbara garden, aphids could be an issue on the new growth of my bougainvilleas in early spring. I simply sprayed them off with a mild blast of the hosepipe. The bougainvillea looper caterpillar has been an issue with my bougies in Arizona and California. They’re inexperienced, brown or greenish-yellow and very tiny – maybe 1″ long. They feed in the dark and chew in the main on the leaves. I just let them be and they eventually go away. Because my bougies drop a lot of their leaves in the winter, it’s not an issue for me.

A couple of weeks ago leafcutter bees were enjoying 1 of my bougainvilleas, which you’ll see in the video, but now they seem to have moved on. They move fast and are valuable pollinators for many plants. For that reason, I let them be also.

Transplanting:

I’m touching briefly on this subject here but I’ll tell you that it’s a crapshoot. Bougainvilleas don’t like to have their roots disturbed. I’ve never transplanted one and don’t recommend it. You’d be happier simply shopping for a replacement one. If you try it, just be as careful as possible.