Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
We are now going to walk into the world of the flowers of the bougainvillea and the world
of propagation of your bougainvillea. These wonderful little flowers are called bracts.
They have a very thin, paper-like, henceforth the name, the common name of your bougainvillea,
the paper flower. Each bract is surrounding the little white flower that you can see here.
Again, this wonderful little paper flower flutters in the wind, at the slightest little
breeze you can watch your bougainvillea move. Now, let's talk about how to propagate your
bougainvillea. You will need a few, simple tools. First, a pair of clean, sharp, cutting
scissors. You can take your bougainvillea and carefully trim off all branches and leaves.
What is best for cutting a bougainvillea is a semi-hardwood piece of bougainvillea. Not
a new ship but then not a really thick gnarly one either. One that is perhaps three to four
to five months old will really send out the best roots. Now you'll need several different
things in terms of your planting material. I prefer straight sand. It really cuts down
on your fungal problems that you have with cuttings. You can mix vermiculite, perilite,
sand and soil together in an even mix. Put out your mixture in your cutting trays and
water. Again, do not over water your cuttings. Your planting material must be kept moist
in filtered light to stimulate root growth. Take your cutting, dip it into this wonderful
root hormone with fungicide. This will help stimulate root growth as well as keep down
any fungal problems on your cuttings. You can also use this wonderful gel mixture that
you can find at your local home center or nursery. Again, follow directions. Take your
cutting, dip it into your rooting hormone tapping off all excess. Make sure you take
your cutting and firmly place it and tuck it into your soil or sand or whatever you
choose to use. Take your cutting, dampen it. Do not let it sit in water, it will simply
rot. If you put your cutting outside, put it in a filtered light situation underneath
a tree. Again, keeping it moist, not damp. If you put it on the inside of your home,
make sure it's in a northern or eastern exposured, filtered light situation. Again, do not over
water. Lastly, using common household products you have around your home, you can make a
nice little greenhouse for your cuttings. Also though, you can go to your local home
center or nursery and get a small little kit that you can put on a shelf, on your table
in your house or again put it outside. Filtered light, do not over water. In seven to ten
weeks you'll have many new additions for your home or garden.