How to Get the Best out of Bougainvilleas’ Blooming Season

All plants have needs that ought to be met to thrive. Therefore, there are several reasons your bougainvillea may not be as happy as it could be where it is. Luckily, most of these can be rectified with the right knowledge. Just as the bougainvillea yearns to pass its knowledge to the next generation of plants, we want nothing more than to carry our knowledge over to you.

Damp Soil

Bougainvilleas enjoy warm, dry climates. This also means they prefer soils that drain easily and don’t get bogged down with water. For plants like bougainvillea, soils that retain water are stressful because the plant’s roots are permanently lying in the water, and bougainvilleas don’t like wet feet. Waterlogged soil is an issue because it means the roots have to work harder to get the nutrients the plant needs. It also provides the perfect conditions for ailments like root rot to occur.

Bougainvilleas require water like most other plants, but they do better in soils that have a chance to dry out properly between watering. Soils with clay-like properties are therefore unsuitable. If your soil does not drain well, consider potting your bougainvillea. The soil in a pot is far easier to control than in a garden bed. While there are ways to condition your garden beds to be more suitable places for plants like bougainvillea, these often require copious amounts of specially formulated soils to be mixed in, which can be an expensive task.

Not Enough Sun

Sun is essential for plants to thrive. We discussed the importance of photosynthesis above; this is achieved through sunlight absorbed through the bougainvilleas leaves. If the bougainvillea is planted in the shade, the photosynthesis aspect of the plant’s needs won’t be met, and it will choose immortality over reproduction. In this case, more energy will be directed to the leaf systems of the bougainvillea to try and get the leaves to spread further or grow taller in search of better sun.

To increase your plant’s overall happiness and promote flowering, make sure your bougainvillea is planted somewhere it receives at least six hours of direct sunlight during the day. Potted bougainvilleas and bonsais are easier to manage in terms of sunlight because they are more easily moved than bougainvilleas planted straight into the ground.

Too Much Water

Overwatering your bougainvillea has the same harmful effects as inadequate drainage does. Anyone who has ever been asked to take care of a friend’s plant knows the stress of trying to keep the delicate things from dying. Instead of facing the infinite wrath of our dear friends upon their return, we’d rather give the plant too much water because then, at least, it definitely won’t die. Or so we like to believe.

Sadly, plants are not like pets; you cant give them a surplus of food and expect them to take it slow and only take in what they need. Their roots will try to absorb every ounce of water you give them. Unless the soil you use drains exceptionally well, giving your bougainvillea too much water will result in waterlogging its roots, promoting root rot, and forcing the plant to favor immortality over reproduction. The plant might adapt its root system over time to combat the excessive watering so that it can learn to thrive in a new condition. Still, the most likely outcome is that your bougainvillea will spend the rest of its existence being far too stressed to want to flower and spread its knowledge.

Remember, bougainvilleas like warmer, drier tropical climates. Your bougainvillea will be happier with less water than with far too much. Experts in growing flowering plants suggest that for optimal results, you should only water bougainvilleas once their leaves start wilting. While this may be a little extreme for most enthusiasts to do, the takeaway is that your bougainvillea can and will still thrive with less water. These stunning plants are as hardy as they are beautiful.

In their preferred hot and dry natural environment in South America, bougainvilleas flower best due to a process called water stress. In this almost desert-like landscape, natural watering is very scarce. This scarcity is different from other deficiencies and provokes a different type of response from the plant. As we mentioned earlier, plants usually respond to stress with immortality; they divert all energy into leaf and root expansion to ensure their own survival.

Water is a far more precious resource, though, and in its natural dry surroundings, the bougainvillea responds in a rather peculiar way when deprived of water for too long. The plant goes into survival mode, but at the first hint of water, it immediately favors the proliferation of its kind and produces the most vibrant bracts in abundance. Bougainvilleas do this as a sort of swan song. The plant doesn’t know when it will receive water again, and it knows that it is dependant on water for survival. Water isn’t like sunlight. In the dry southern reaches of the Americas, expanding root systems aren’t likely to reveal better access to water. The plant knows that it is in crisis and that this might be its last chance to flower. So it uses every ounce of its nutrients to produce the most beautiful bracts it ever has in this final show-stopping attempt at attracting pollinators.

Nurseries use this natural process and force bougainvilleas to flower vibrantly by withholding water for long periods. Just as the plant is about to start dying, water forces it to choose what it believes to be one final attempt at reproduction.

Too Much Fertilizer

Fertilizer is brilliant for encouraging thick, lush foliage growth. Unfortunately, this often happens a the expense of flowers. Nitrogen is one of the most common ingredients in fertilizer. Nitrogen promotes the growth of green foliage and stems, but nitrogen on its own won’t encourage blooming.

The best fertilizer for bougainvilleas is a healthy combination of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK). However, sometimes even these are too heavy on nitrogen for your bougainvilleas. We suggest using a half-strength all-purpose NPK early in the spring not to overwhelm the plant with nitrogen.

For best results, just keep an eye on your bougainvilleas’ growth and flowering patterns. If you see it’s the flowering season, but you have no flowers, scale back your fertilizer use, let the plant adapt, and see how it goes. With plants, sometimes the best you can do is play it by ear.

Bougainvilleas do, however, tend to thrive when they’re left alone for long periods, so don’t be afraid to neglect your plant every now and then; you might just be giving it exactly what it wants.

As a general rule, bougainvilleas planted directly in your garden should not need fertilizer at all. As long as your soil is the right consistency and promotes good drainage, your bougainvillea should thrive.

Unsuitable Temperature

Given how much emphasis we’ve put on words like dry and hot when it comes to bougainvillea care, it should not come as a surprise that temperature is an essential factor in healthy bougainvillea blooming. Yes, bougainvillea is a hardy plant, but they do better in more extreme heat and dry spells. Cold and wet weather extremes are not suitable for bougainvilleas to thrive in.

Think of Mediterranean destinations like Greece. The quintessential Greek island village is full of rustic white walls, vibrant blue window shutters and doors, and almost luminescent magenta bougainvilleas. They creep up the walls creating a stark contrast with otherwise usually bare walls. These plants seem always to be blooming. While they are not perennial bloomers, bougainvilleas do better in places like these villages. They don’t get overwatered, they grow where and how they want to grow, and they bask in the sunlight for many hours of the day. The key here is neglect. Bougainvilleas thrive where it’s sunny and warm and where they are not fussed over.