Bougainvillea do best when night temperatures don’t drop below 60 °F (16 °C) and daytime temperatures don’t exceed 100 °F (38 °C). Bougainvillea can be wintered over in the basement or another low light area.
Add limestone to the soil to increase the pH or sulphur to decrease the pH as necessary. If you’re planting the bougainvillea in a pot, choose a soil mix with the appropriate pH level.
If you want the bougainvillea to climb a trellis or wall, be sure to plant it near the structure. As it grows, you’ll need to “train” it to climb the structure by wrapping it gently around the base. If you’re planting the bougainvillea in a container, make sure to choose one with plenty of drainage holes, since bougainvillea hate to have “wet feet. "
It is important to let the top 2 to 3 inches (5. 1 to 7. 6 cm) of soil dry out before watering. To check, stick a finger into the soil up to your knuckle. If the soil is dry to this point, then it is time to water.
Most bougainvillea gardeners go with a 1:1:1 or a 2:1:2 fertilizer for regular fertilizing, not the high-phosphate fertilizer used at planting. Organic or slow-release fertilizers work best. [1] X Research source Be sure to fertilize at least once a year, at the beginning of spring, to help the season’s growth get underway.
Wear gloves when pruning bougainvillea. Some people can get a skin rash from pruning bougainvillea, similar to that from poison ivy. This is caused by the sap, not the leaves or stems.
