How to Grow Bougainvillea in Florida
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Bougainvillea can be grown as a hedge.Bougainvillea image by rizafna from Fotolia.com
Plant your bougainvillea plant in a sunny location with at least five hours of direct sunshine every day. Choose a site with very well-drained soil and provide some support in the form of a trellis, fence or canes for young plants. - 2
Hummingbids are attracted to bougainvillea flowers.colibri sur un bougainvillier image by Christophe Fouquin from Fotolia.com
Water your bougainvillea thoroughly as soon as its leaves start to wilt. Do not allow the soil to dry out completely as this will cause leaf and flower drop. Allow all excess water to drain away from potted bougainvillea plants as water logging will damage or kill the roots. - 3
Orange flowered bougainvillea cultivar.bougainvillea image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
Fertilize your vine twice a year with a fertilizer enriched with micronutrients. Apply granular fertilizer during the warmer months using 2 pounds per 100 square feet. Do not over fertilize, as this will make the plant grow leaves rather than flowers. Treat vines with pale or yellow leaves with a foliar spray rich in iron and magnesium. - 4
Colorful bougainvillea bracts.Bougainvillea image by Kilioa from Fotolia.com
Pinch out the growing tips of bougainvillea vines to encourage branching and bushy growth. Bougainvillea flowers come on fresh shoots, so pinching and pruning regularly encourages flowering. Bougainvillea Growers International has detailed instructions on how to pinch out tips on its website. - 5). Monitor your vine for signs of insect infestation. Bougainvilleas in Florida are vulnerable to attack by leaf roller caterpillars. These can denude a vine in a short period. They can be picked off a small plant manually at night, or treated with a neem-based biological insecticide or a synthetic insecticide formulated to kill caterpillars.
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