Bougainvillea Care Guide

We love Bougainvillea, but they can be frustrating at the same time. We all want that spectacular displays they can offer, but the only plants we get more questions about forcing to bloom than Bougainvillea, are Wisteria. It seems gardeners have no problem getting them to grow, but making them bloom seems to be a challenge. We consulted an expert and here is what they said.

Place your Boug in full sun, protected from the wind; this is non-negotiable.
As long as the temperatures do not reach 32 degrees or lower it is perfectly fine to leave the Bougs outside. If you move your Boug from outdoors to a greenhouse/garage/house on regular basis, it will confuse the plant. This may cause it to react by dropping blooms, and foliage as it goes into a self-preservation mode.
Bougs are drought tolerant and should not require watering more than twice a week. Excessive water will result in immediate and premature bloom drop. When you see a Boug leaf begin to curl, the plant has just spoken volumes to you saying “Please give me a drink!”
Under ideal growing conditions, you can expect a bloom cycle to last 4 to 6 weeks, and in some cases, even longer.
After your Boug ends its bloom cycle and drops its blooms, you should immediately prun them. Many people are afraid to prune Bougs, which over time causes the Boug to lose shape. Do not be afraid to cut them! Bougs bloom on new wood and the more you prune them, the more flowers you will have.
After pruning, give the plant a healthy does of Medina Growin’ Green.
Two to three weeks later, feed the Boug a high phosphorous, bloom boosting type of fertilizer. We recommend and use Medina Hasta Gro. Bougs are heavy, heavy feeders, so give them a hearty dose.
Continue feeding every 2-3 weeks.
Add 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts with each feeding. It will take approximately 4-5 weeks to re-enter the next blooming cycle.
Lastly, Bougs like bone meal. Apply this as a top dressing, whether your Bougs are in a pot or in the ground.
Always keep in mind that when any of the fertilization treatments are applied, the watering-in process that accompanies the fertilization counts as one of the twice a week watering.