Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Is there a trade secrete for the fertilizer for bougainvillea....?

ii bought hanging basket of bougainvillea, full of flowers, after that bloom is over, it never bloom again, plant is still very healthy, started fertilizing miraclegro plant food, but no luck,


out of 5 basket, there is one, keep blooming again and again,


any one help me finding the right fertiliser ?

Is there a trade secrete for the fertilizer for bougainvillea....?
Cultural Requirements


Water and Soil





Bougainvillea will thrive in almost any soil as long as it is well-drained and fertile. Soils that work for other plants you grow will be fine for your bougainvillea.





Growers use a soil media that drains well but make sure you don't let the plants dry out between waterings. If you want to be successful with bougainvillea keep containers moist but also they need to be well drained. No sitting plants in standing water!





DO NOT USE SAUCERS under your bougainvillea pots.





A healthy bougainvillea in a container will drink a lot of water during the warm times of the year. In cooler periods or when you bring your bougainvillea indoors for the winter, the water requirement will be much less.





SO how much water does a Bougainviilea need for proper plant care and blooming. As always it depends on:





- Soil type


- Root system


- Size of the plant


- Air temperature





Don't water just to water your plants. Inspect your plants regularly, and learn when they are close to wilting. Then give the plant a good, thorough soaking just before it reaches the wilt stage.





Remember during the summer heat plants will use up water quickly, so inspect often.


Light





For the best results put your bougainvilleas in full sun. If you want good blooming give them at least 5 hours a day of full sunlight as a minimum. More hours of direct sun is better. Less than 5 hours and the plant may not bloom very well. Your plants will thrive in shade or partial shade, but only have nice growth


with little or no blooms.





Don't expect your bougainvillea to flower indoors. If possible, keep your plant outdoors and give it the maximum sun exposure. Any flowering you may receive indoors is a bonus.


Temperature





Bougainvilleas are hardy throughout the South but young growth will be damaged by frost. Optimum growing temperatures are warm days (70-85of) and cool nights(60-70of).





A light frost will not kill the plant, but you can soon expect all the leaves and bracts to fall off. In this case, the plant will regrow if not subjected to more frosts for longer duration.


Fertilizer





Bougainvillea can be heavy feeders. Here is some quick fertilizer tips.





- High phosphorus with micronutrients, as well as additional iron and magnesium.


- Slow or timed release fertilizers are acceptable. Make sure you follow the fertilizer label.


- Plants grow best with small amounts of nutrients constantly available.


- Do not apply fertilizers to dry soil - Do not overfertilize - in this case less is better than more.


Pests





Caterpillars, mites, aphids; Leaf spot if foliage and/or soil stays too wet, especially in cool weather. Contact your local nursery or garden center for treating the pest. Make sure you READ AND FOLLOW the label.


Where and How to use Bougainvillea





- Hanging baskets


- 1 to 3 gallon pots either sheared as bush, staked, or trellised.


- Trained as a tree - standard


- Summer annual up North.


- In the South grown as groundcover, hedge, trellis, standard, or cascading planter plant.
Reply:after mine bloom, I cut them back a little. Then they bloom again. When I do fertilize , it's with a top dressing of blood meal.
Reply:Over fertilization will cause plant growth but not blooms. Bougainvilleas generally bloom from new growth, so you may need to trim them back a bit. They don't do well as indoor plants as far as blooming is concerned--they do best in a south facing area and in full sun.


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