The triplet flower belongs to the wonder flower family and is kept in the tub. It grows as a shrub, climbing plant or tree and can reach heights of up to 3 m. Flowering time is from June to September. Their flowers resemble the poinsettia and are of orange, white, purple, or red surrounded by pink bracts, due to which they are often used for greening walls and fences be used. However, it should be overwintered frost-free.
wintering
The bougainvillea is placed before the first frosts. Before that, you cut them back heavily. That doesn't have to be the case, but it saves space in winter quarters.
Wintering takes place at temperatures between 5 and 15 degrees Celsius. A low temperature in the winter quarters is favorable for flower formation in spring. A dark wintering is possible, but the leaves fall off. From February, after the cut, the plant is put back warm and light. A south window is well suited. As soon as the first leaves are sprouted, fertilize again and water more. Don't pour too much!
Things to note when wintering
The triple flower is relatively cold-resistant, but not frost-resistant. Wintering outdoors is not possible in Central Europe. Therefore, it should overwinter in a frost-free area. Conservatories, heatable greenhouses and cellars, for example, are suitable for this purpose, provided that there are windows. The large-flowered varieties such as bougainvillea terracotta are particularly sensitive.
The purple specimens, the non-hybrids, such as the Bougainvillea glabra, need a resting phase and should be brightly hibernated at temperatures between 6 and 12 degrees.
If these non-hybrids are overwintered in a warm house, the abundance of flowers in spring can be relatively meager. In contrast to the hybrids, these varieties have a maximum of 3 flowering phases over the course of a year.
Care claims during the winter break
Before moving to winter quarters, all plants should be examined for possible infestation with pests or diseases. For optimal overwintering, the watering should be significantly reduced as early as autumn. In winter, water should only be poured minimally, but in spite of everything in such a way that the substrate cannot dry out completely. The ball of the earth should be kept as moderately moist as possible. This promotes flower formation in the following year. Fertilizer should be completely avoided with the triplet flower from October to March.
Most of the specimens lose some or all of their leaves in their winter quarters, but that is not a cause for concern. If the plant has lost all of its leaves, wintering is even a little easier, because then it can also be found in a darker quarter at temperatures of approx. Hibernate at 5 degrees. You can also shed this leaf
A strong pruning before wintering is recommended. So it grows much more compact next spring. Shoots that form in winter must be removed, as no flowers are formed on them, this only happens on spring shoots.
The bougainvillea can be repotted in mid-February. While young plants should be repotted every year, older plants should be repotted every two years. Make sure that the new planter is not too big and that the roots are not too big Have a lot of space, otherwise root growth and not flower formation would be promoted will. Sometimes it is sufficient to renew the top layer of soil every year or to repot when the substrate is completely rooted.
A pruning after the winter break is not recommended, as the new flowers form at the branch tips. However, the winter shoots should be removed, as the flowers only form on the shoots from last spring. Wilted flowers should also always be removed.
From February, when most of these plants are already sprouting again, they should be placed in a particularly bright place, if possible, at temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees. From now on you should water regularly again and provide the plant with fertilizer. Flowering plants, liquid or universal fertilizers are very suitable for this. Under these conditions the triple flower forms leaves relatively quickly and the flower also appears quite early. After the Ice Saints, i.e. after the 15th May.
Diseases and pests
If the leaves turn yellow, it is often due to a lack of iron. Iron fertilizer can help. Every now and then the plants are plagued by whiteflies, aphids and red spiders.
- Too much water is a common cause of fungal infections
- White coating on the leaves - signs of powdery mildew
- Control with agents containing neem and silica
- Root rot or yellow leaves from too much water
- In these cases, significantly reduce the amount of water given
- Let the soil dry off visibly
- Infestation with aphids or spider mites
- Use agents that are added to the irrigation water to combat it
- Triple flower sensitive to pesticides
- Sticky film on leaves and shoots - evidence of mealybugs
- Control with insecticide sticks or water-soluble tablets
- Dusty, gray coating on leaves, stems and flowers - evidence of gray mold rot
- Reduce watering, do not spray, do not fertilize
- Remove affected, dead plant parts
- Separate healthy from infected plants
- Proper care is rewarded
Triplet flowers are colorful eye-catchers in the garden as well as on the balcony and terrace. The biodiversity ensures variety, provided that the care is right. If you avoid waterlogging, which protects the plants from heavy rain, strong wind and, above all, from frost you have already created the basis for a healthy and richly blooming triple flower and will enjoy it for a long time to have.
Location and plant substrate
We assume that the bougainvillea is kept in a bucket. The plant needs a very sunny and sheltered place, this is the only way it will bloom properly. She needs a lot of sun and a lot of warmth. In particular, it must be protected from rain. The leaves fall off due to the mechanical stress.
Watering and fertilizing
You only have to water the bougainvillea a little. However, the plant substrate must not dry out completely. Watering has to be done with a lot of dexterity. If you water too much, the shoots grow, but the flowers stay out. The plant needs a lot of nutrients during the flowering period. Therefore, a lot of fertilization must be carried out during flowering. It is best to use commercially available liquid fertilizer for flowering plants and fertilize with it every 1 to 2 weeks.
Cut
The bougainvillea blooms on the new shoot. The pruning is best done when budding begins in early spring, from the beginning of February to March. In doing so, all of the side shoots (flowering shoots) leaving the main shoots are completely cut back directly at the base. This is the only way to get as many strong new flower shoots as possible.
Otherwise, the bougainvillea tolerates every cut. Therefore you can give it any shape. The more the plant is to lignify, the less it is allowed to cut. Long shoots can simply be shortened in summer. This creates a particularly large number of abundantly blooming short shoots.
