Bougainvillea in Pots – Bougainvillea is recommended and easy to grow in pots. In places where there is chilly weather, it can easily be transported inside the house to avoid the frost. There would be no problem since this plant grows and performs well in a relatively small container. The requirements to grow a Bougainvillea in pots are:
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Type of pot for Bougainvillea
The best choice for container is a clay pot. Clay pots tend to stay drier and Bougainvillea performs well in drought than in moist environment. They grow from cutting that are 4 to 6 inches long and take about 4-6 weeks will develop a good root system. If you plan to plant Bougainvillea in a pot, make sure that the soil you will be using is a regular potting soil without high levels of peat moss as it retains moisture. Your pot must have many draining holes and trellis or support where the vine can crawl vertically.
Watering Bougainvillea in Pots
Newly planted Bougainvillea in pots need frequent watering, but once the plant is established leave the soil on the dry side as it blooms better in drought. It is also a heavy feeder so make sure regular fertilization is provided with less nitrogen and more phosphate content in it to encourage blooms.
Sunlight for Bougainvillea
As a heat loving plant, your potted Bougainvillea needs ample amount of sunlight every day. Make sure to place it near a window or bring it outside for at least 5 hours a day. Do not expect too much flowers if you plan to keep the plant inside most of the time. The longer time it spends under direct sunlight, the more it blooms. If you live in a place where it usually gets cold, bring the pot inside because it will not survive the harsh drop in temperature and its leaves will start to fall off.
Pruning
Because it will be in a pot, you can also trim the branches of your plant to attain a certain size and shape. Just make sure you perform pruning right after the luscious blooms had fallen off, and wear gloves while doing so to avoid getting bruises from its thorny stems. New growth also encourages flowering, therefore allowing you to enjoy longer blooms all throughout the year. Although, planting Bougainvillea in pots restricts its growth into a shrub and it does not grow wild foliage.
Repotting
Every two years, or when you notice a diminished performance, consider repotting bougainvilleas into a larger container. Remove the root ball carefully from the pot, get a sturdy knife and cut one inch strip around the ball. You may add the stripped roots to the compost pile. Then place the plant into the larger container and pour in new potting soil.
Aside from pots, you could also plant Bougainvillea in hanging baskets and let them grow downwards for a beautiful trailing effect. The key to success in taking care of Bougainvilleas it to treat them almost like weeds, neglect them a bit and do not try to baby them too much. Too much comfort robs them of the opportunity to reproduce, thus resulting to fewer blooms.