Bougainvillea beginners in particular are sometimes confronted with the worry that your climbing beauty will fail to sprout in the spring. Read below to find out why this could be and what you can do.
Why isn't my bougainvillea sprouting?
If a bougainvillea does not sprout, this may be due to too little light, warmth, a winter quarter that is too dark or a pot that is too narrow. This can be remedied by a brighter location, more heat, a larger pot or fertilizer.
What you have to admit to bougainvillea
In some respects the bougainvillea - at least when you keep it here in northern Central Europe - is a little diva. But you can forgive her for that if you take into account that she doesn't actually find the circumstances here to her liking. In its subtropical, South American homeland, it is of course provided with much more light and warmth than here and, instead of four seasons, it is only subject to the alternation between dry and rainy seasons. So you have to be a little patient with her.
Primal needs of bougainvillea:
- lots of light and warmth
- clear phases of dryness and wetness
What can delay budding
When you take your bougainvillea out of its winter quarters, it usually doesn't look particularly good: dry, leafless and lifeless. And it may well be that nothing happens for a while and you wait in vain for a willing, powerful release.
Mostly the bougainvillea simply lacks warmth and light. She just can't get enough of it. What could also be the case: the winter quarters were too dark. Then the plant simply needs a little longer to regain its vitality. Also check the pot size: Is the root ball perhaps already too cramped? Of course, this can also paralyze the budding.
Possible sprouting inhibitors at a glance:
- Light and heat supply is not enough
- Winter quarters were too dark
- Pot already too tight
Measures
Check whether the location offers full light and heat output. If necessary, try a different, brighter location and a little more heating. Under no circumstances should you water more - the bougainvillea cannot become waterlogged, especially in the weak initial vegetation phase. If you notice that the pot is actually too narrow, repot the plant and enrich the substrate with nutrients such as horn meal (€6.00 on Amazon). A universal liquid fertilizer can also give a growth boost.
If all else fails, check whether the branches under the bark are still wet (scoring) - in the worst case, the plant may have died.
