Growing bougainvilleas in pots: discover these useful tips for beautiful plants!

When one thinks of bougainvillea, seasides generally come to mind. This is where these plants stand out against bleached, white walls and evoke images of summer with their vibrant colors. However, they can also be cultivated in areas with temperate climates, even if they are not close to the sea, and can even be raised in pots where winters are colder and they need o be sheltered when the weather becomes too harsh.

In fact, bougainvillea are quite robust plants with a climbing nature, but they can also tolerate cultivation in pots, albeit with some care. Read on to find out more:

Vases / pots: Start off with pots that are fairly large. Those with a diameter of at least 25 cm, or even up to 35 cm, are recommended. It is true that these plants love to have a "tight fit", but at the same time, they grow quite quickly if placed in the right place and are cared for properly - so starting with small plants (or even cuttings), you can also start with pots of these dimensions. You should also know that you will most likely have to repot the plant every one to two years by changing the pot with one that is only slightly larger - again because it is better not to leave too much room for the roots.

As for the material of the pot, terracotta or ceramic is always recommended. And from an aesthetic point of view, cobalt blue vases are often perfect with the bright foliage and lightly coloured walls behind them - but of course the colors can be the varied.

Varieties: there are several cultivars of bougainvilleas, some of which tend to be more compact and a tendancy to reduced growth, although it will still always be necessary to control it with a light pruning. Among those that are recommended most often are:

• Pink flowers: Rosenka, Helen Johnson, Singapore Pink.
• Red flowers: La Jolla, Crimson Jewel.
• White flowers: Miss Alice.

• Exposure and climate: they love the sun and warm temperatures, exposures like these guarantee spectacular flowering, while in the shady areas they tend to produce only a lot of leaves and very few flowers. In any case, you need to choose a place where they are sheltered from the wind. Even where it is necessary to shelter them in winter, they must still be placed in positions where they are reached by the sun, and often, they must be covered with a non-woven fabric cover.
• Soil: to avoid water stagnation, which causes the plant to lose vigor or causes root rot, the bougainvillea must be planted in well-draining soil. Add a layer of expanded clay to the bottom of the pot and mix sand into the substrate.
• Irrigation: like all plants, if grown in pots, they should be checked frequently, taking care not to leave the soil be completely dry for too long. In any case, in plants that have taken root very well, the need for frequent irrigation is reduced over time.
• Pruning: to ensure that they can remain in pots, growth must be limited by pruning them at the end of winter, when there is no longer the risk of drastic drops in temperature. At this moment it can be pruned to size, and above all, cleaned of any dry or broken branches.
• Repotting: this too must take place at the end of winter / beginning of spring.

Have you ever grown bougainvilleas at home?