The exotic bougainvillea is also considered a miracle flower because of its unique blooms. It is an absolute eye-catcher and, under certain conditions, can also be easily planted in this country.
Exotic charm moves into the balcony and terrace with the bougainvillea. The original home of the triplet is in South America. The Bougainville overcomes fences and walls with seemingly no effort. The colorful bracts provide a firework of colors, similar to what we know from the poinsettia. As an ornamental plant, the bougainvillea is easy to cultivate, even in our latitudes.
In the following we reveal what should be considered when planting.
Plant Description
Bougainvillea includes almost 20 species and belongs to the magic flower family. The small shrubs grow up to five meters high and are eager climbers. The colorful bracts are often mistaken for flowers. These usually appear in red or violet tones. The triplet can also "bloom" white or orange. The plant owes its name to the three inconspicuous inflorescences that stand close together and are surrounded by the colored bracts.
Optimum planting conditions for triplet flowers
Find the right location
The main distribution area of Bougainvillea is in Brazil. There, the plant finds ideal conditions to form meter-long tendrils and to climb up walls and fences. In our latitudes, this is only possible to a limited extent, because the plants are not hardy. The colorful bracts are sensitive to downpours or storms. If you don't consider this when choosing a location, you risk the bracts falling off.
A sunny location is required for the exotic plant to impress with its colorful bracts. The plant loves warmth and should therefore not be too cold or draughty. It is also important to choose a sheltered location. For example, a wall or house wall that is illuminated by the sun during the day and does not cool down so quickly at night and still retains residual heat is ide althe plant can deliver. A roof overhang protects against leaf loss due to rain and wind.
The bougainvillea should be given a climbing aid, as it grows quickly in the right location.
» Tip: The plants also tolerate brief periods of cold, but should not overwinter outdoors.
In short:
- light
- sunny
- warm
- protected
Selecting the ideal substrate
The demands on the substrate are not overly high. Bougainvillea does well with conventional potting soil. If garden soil is mixed with compost, the right substrate is also found. The plant then receives all the nutrients it needs and no longer needs to be fertilized in the first year.
In short:
- loose
- Humos
- slightly sour
- Garden soil
- Potting Soil
How to plant correctly
❶ Select location
❷ Prepare the soil
❸ Dig the planting hole
❹ Insert the plant carefully
❺ Fill in the substrate
❻ Press the soil down lightly
❼ Water the plant
There is nothing wrong with cultivating the plant outdoors in summer. Once the right location has been found, the soil must first be cleared of weeds and stones. The substrate should be loosened up and mixed with compost if necessary. The triplet flower does not tolerate waterlogging and therefore needs a loose substrate that allows the liquid to drain off well. Care must be taken when planting to avoid damaging the roots of the bougainvillea.
Keep the Bougainvillea as a container plant
Since the plants are not hardy, they have to move indoors during the cold season. Outdoor plants should therefore be taken out of the ground in good time before the first frost and placed in a planter. The hobby gardener can simplify this by cultivating the triplet flower in the bucket. Then the move to the winter quarters is completed quickly and the plant can easily change location while it is outdoors.
Advantages and disadvantages
| Advantages | Cons |
|---|---|
| Planter can be placed at any location. | Plants have a limited supply of nutrients. |
| Planter is easy to transport. | Planters freeze through quickly. |
| Planters look decorative on the balcony or terrace. | Planter must be big enough, otherwise it will growPlant restricted. |
| Planter can be moved to winter quarters in just a few simple steps. |
Planting instructions for the tub
❶ select suitable bucket
❷ insert drainage layer
❸ fill in substrate
❹ insert plant
❺ fill up substrate
❻ press soil
❼ Water the plant
❽ Select location
❾ Attach trellis if necessary
The plant pot should not be too small, but also not so huge that the boletus gets lost in it. Then it can happen that the plants do everything in their power to root through the planter and do not flower. The bucket must have a sufficiently large water drainage hole. To prevent waterlogging, a layer of gravel or shards of pottery should be laid out on the bottom of the container as drainage. This improves water drainage.
Potted plants have the advantage that they can be adjusted in just a few simple steps. Nevertheless, the location should be retained during the summer season if possible. A sheltered and covered location, facing south, is preferable.
Repot the bougainvillea - what is important?
Potted plants only find a limited supply of nutrients. Therefore, it should not be neglected to repot the plants regularly. This should be done every two years. If the roots have already taken complete possession of the planter, it should definitely be repotted.
» Tip: The plants are preferably repotted in spring. Then the growth period has not yet started and the plants cope better with the change of substrate and planter.
The new plant pot should be a few centimeters larger in diameter than its predecessor. It is important that there are sufficient drainage holes in the bottom of the container and the drainage already described should not be forgotten. A slightly acidic soil is best suited as a substrate. Anyone who has the opportunity to determine the pH value is exactly right with determined values between 6 and 6.5.
» Tip: Check the planter after buying a bougainvillea. The plant pots are often too small and the plants are already rooted through. Then, regardless of the season, it should be transplanted.