How to Help Outdoor Grown Bougainvillea Survive Winter
This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to help outdoor-grown bougainvillea survive the winter and offers tips on caring for the plants, so let's take a look with the editor!
A month has already passed since winter began, and some places are covered in snow and ice, while others have repeatedly failed to enter winter. How can outdoor-grown bougainvillea survive the winter? It depends on where you are located. If the lowest temperature in your area does not drop below freezing, the plants will generally be fine without much attention. Water them thoroughly before the weather gets completely cold, and they will grow as usual during winter and sprout early in the spring. If the lowest temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius, even with protective measures, there is a high chance the bougainvillea may freeze to death, so it's best to dig them up and care for them indoors or prepare to replant them next year. If the lowest temperature is below freezing but above 10 degrees Celsius, you need to do the following four things:
1. Frost Prevention
Bougainvillea can tolerate temperatures as low as 0 degrees Celsius, and even short spells of temperatures slightly below zero won't immediately kill them, but it may delay sprouting in the spring. If the lowest temperature frequently drops below zero in your area, you can lay the whole plant down and completely cover it with soil or mulch with straw. If the minimum temperature is not too low, you can cover it shallowly; if it's quite low, cover it deeply. If the bougainvillea is large and difficult to lay down, wrap the main branches with clothes, plastic wrap, or straw to provide insulation and prevent freezing. Regardless of whether you lay the plant down and cover it with soil or wrap the main branches with other materials, it's a good idea to prune the bougainvillea heavily first, removing sickly, weak, inner, and overly tender branches to make it easier to manage.
2. Reduce Watering
Outdoor-grown bougainvillea generally does not need to be watered in winter. Their roots go deep and, being in a dormant state, require very little water. Water them thoroughly before winter and then again in the spring. Unless your bougainvillea is a small plant that was planted in the autumn of the current year and has not grown much with underdeveloped roots, you can water it once a month if the weather is not too cold. When watering outdoor-grown bougainvillea, avoid doing so when a cold front is coming or when the soil is still moist to prevent freezing due to low temperatures in the microenvironment.
3. Wind Protection
Bougainvillea is not resistant to cold winds, especially the winds during the coldest days of winter and right after the beginning of spring, which are dry and cold. Even if the temperature is above freezing, they can dry out the branches of the bougainvillea. Therefore, protective measures against the wind are necessary for outdoor-grown bougainvillea. For smaller plants, you can use things like boards or Styrofoam boxes to block the wind. For larger plants, you can wrap some Styrofoam or similar materials around the branches to protect against the wind.
How to Help Outdoor Grown Bougainvillea Survive Winter
4. Bury Fertilizer
If you want your outdoor-grown bougainvillea to grow better and bloom more next year, you can bury some organic fertilizer around the roots before the ground freezes. This can include things like fish intestines, chicken manure, pigeon droppings, or uneaten shrimp and crab shells. These organic fertilizers will decompose at low temperatures over the winter, and the bougainvillea will be able to absorb and utilize them well in the spring, leading to vigorous growth and abundant blooms.
The key to helping outdoor-grown bougainvillea survive the winter is still frost prevention; the other points are minor. Once they are frozen, it could be fatal. Therefore, in colder regions, it is essential to focus on frost prevention. If you find this information useful, give it a thumbs up and follow me for more knowledge on flower care.
The above methods and tips for helping outdoor-grown bougainvillea survive the winter and caring for the plants are provided by GreeneryEnthusiast.com as reference suggestions for everyone.