Page 19 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 7 August 2024

GARDENING

vailable in red, purple/
mauve, white, yellow,
orange, magenta and
many shades of pink,
Bougainvilleas are
Astunning but rather
sensitive when young.

As ‘adolescents’ they have easily damage-
able, brittle root systems. When planting,
wet the soil thoroughly before transplant-
ing from the nursery bag or container. Do
not loosen the soil away from the roots
during this process to avoid transplant
shock.
Top tip: Bougainvilleas love warm, sunny
spots with well-drained, rich, loamy soil.
They prefer infrequent but deep watering.

STYLING AND TRAINING
Bougainvillea plants are essentially
creepers but with nifty pruning, they can
be trained to grow into several styles and
shapes, for example neat formal hedg-
es using mesh or wooden trellises. In
smaller gardens, they can be controlled by
frequent pruning and even styled into ball
shapes called superballs or standards.
Depending on the size of the ball or the
height required, bold columns can also be
created and are real show-stopping décor
elements.
Top tip: Choose low-growing varieties and
experiment with hedging styles and wall
cover-ups. Remember to tie down the
plants with string while still in training
school.
PRUNING
Pruning should be carried out once your
Bougainvillea has finished flowering. This Top tip: Try special contain-
encourages new growth upon which the er growing Bougainvillea
next flush of flowers will grow. A good gen- varieties such as vera
eral rule is that regular, light pruning will purple/white, flame,
keep them in good shape with near-con- ruby and rijnstar.
stant regrowth and blooms. Pruning also
helps reduce disease and extends the life FEEDING, FROST
of the plant. Pruning during winter will set AND PESTS
the tone for the new season and give the A balanced foliar fer-
plant a great head start. tiliser can be applied
every four weeks
Top tip: Pinch off tender ends that are during the growing
about to bloom to promote denser, bright- period. Alternatively, a
er flowers. slow-release 3:1:5 fer-
tiliser every two to three
CONTAINERS AND INDOORS months is also good. Ask
Bougainvilleas will also thrive in con- your nursery for advice and
tainers if the potting mix is well-drained recommendations on feeding
and nutritious and receives infrequent solutions. Another great thing
but deep watering. They need as much about Bougainvilleas is that they pes-
sun as possible but will tolerate some are virtually disease-free, provided
shade during the day. When growing they have lots of sunlight. During winter
indoors, choose a spot that receives in particularly cold regions, a frost cloth
TEXT AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIFE IS A GARDEN some sun and is always well-lit. Prune should be used for protection, but they are
WWW.LIFEISAGARDEN.CO.ZA indoor plants regularly and be careful generally quite resistant and grow back ticides available at nurseries.
not to overwater them. When selecting well.
your container, look for pots with plenty Remember to mulch around all Bougain-
of drainage holes (don’t forget the sau- Top tip: Look out for aphids and red spi- villea beds and containers to retain soil
cer), and remember that the pot’s size der mites that may spawn during spring. moisture and reduce weed growth. Follow
will also affect the size of the plant’s Fortunately, these are easy to take care of these tips for best results and may your
growth. with the variety of organic and chemical growing journey be successful!

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