Bougainvillea beginners in particular are sometimes confronted with the concern that their beauty will sprout in the spring. Read below why this can be and what you can do.
Sometimes it is not easy to get the bougainvillea to sprout after hibernation
What you have to give to Bougainvillea
In some ways, the bougainvillea is a little diva - at least when you keep it here in northern central Europe. But you can forgive her for that, if you take into account that you will actually find circumstances that you are not used to. In its subtropical, South American homeland, it naturally gets much more light and warmth than here and is only subject to the change between dry and rainy seasons instead of four seasons. So you have to have a little patience with her.
Primal Needs of Bougainvillea:
- lots of light and warmth
- clear phases of dryness and wetness
Which can delay budding
When you take your bougainvillea out of its winter quarters, it usually doesn't look particularly good: dried up, leafless and lifeless. And it may well be that nothing happens for a while and you wait in vain for a willing, powerful budding.
Bougainvillea usually just lacks warmth and light. She just can't get enough of that. What can also be: the winter quarters were too dark. Then the plant simply needs a little longer to regain its vitality. Also check the pot size: is the root ball perhaps too cramped? Of course, this can also paralyze the budding.
An overview of possible sprouting obstacles:
- The supply of light and heat is not enough
- Winter quarters were too dark
- Pot already too tight
measures
Check if the location offers full light and heat output. If necessary, try another, brighter location and a little more heat. Under no circumstances should you water more - the bougainvillea cannot have waterlogging, especially in the still weak initial vegetation phase. If you find that the pot is actually too small, repot the plant and enrich the substrate with nutrients such as horn meal. A universal liquid fertilizer can also cause a growth spurt.
If all else fails, check whether the branches are still wet under the bark (scratching) - in the worst case, the plant may have died.