Guv's Gardens
Photo: Ввласенко, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sun
- Full sun (minimum about 6 hours); part shade gives fewer flowers.
- Soil
- Well-drained, light or sandy; not fussy if drainage is good.
- Soil pH
- Acid to neutral; leaves may yellow (chlorosis) in alkaline soil.
- Water
- Low.
- Hardiness
- Tropical to warm temperate. Frost-tender; tolerates light frost (may drop leaves).
- Height and spread
- Vigorous types 5-12 m+ unpruned; dwarf cultivars 0.4-1.5 m.
Guv's tipPrune bougainvillea after each flowering flush, but avoid pruning during the main bloom. And wear gloves; those thorns bite back.
Through the year
Timings are for temperate Australia. Tropical and arid gardens follow different seasons.
When to plant
Spring to early summer, once warm and frost risk has passed.
Flowering
Spring to autumn (the warm months).
Pruning
Prune after each flowering flush; vigorous types can be cut back hard (e.g. by half every 6 months). Avoid pruning during the main bloom. Wear gloves (thorns).
Making more plants
Cuttings (softwood in summer, hardwood in winter).
Watch out for
Aphids
Look for: Clusters on new growth.
What to do: Hose off, or use a registered insecticidal soap or pyrethrum spray.
Root problems / yellowing from overwatering
Cultural (waterlogging).Look for: Yellow leaves; leaf drop.
What to do: Improve drainage and water less.
Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.
Safety and spread
Pets and people: No toxic principle listed: not on the ASPCA toxic or non-toxic plant lists, and only the spines are noted as a problem. Thorns can cause injury.
Weed risk: Not listed as a weed on Weeds Australia or NSW WeedWise.
The Plant Doctor and the Guv's book
Printable pest and disease charts with real photographs, and all 50 Australia plants in one book.
