How to Propagate Bougainvillea
Prune your plant to get your cuttings., Remove excess leaves and trim., Prepare and treat the nodes., Wet the soil and insert the cutting., Keep it moist and shady., Wait for it to sprout., Leave the cuttings until four to six leaves have appeared...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Prune your plant to get your cuttings.
Cut back an older bougainvillea as you would in normal care of this tropical to semi-tropical plant. -
Step 2: Remove excess leaves and trim.
Certain parts will not grow or take root, so you clean them up.
Discard any green, more recent growth.
This will not root.
Remove 50% of any leaves remaining on the piece to root.
Cut the older woody sections into 2-4” pieces. , Nodes are where roots are most likely to form, so you should cut and treat the nodes to speed growth/propagation.
Cut the bottom of each piece where a node is, and cut on an angle so that it is at least slightly pointed.
Nodes show up as bumps or lumps on the old wood.
These are the areas in which natural plant growth hormones are at their highest concentration.
Wet with water the bottom of each piece, and dip lightly in a rooting hormone, also known as a rooting acid.
Plant hormone is acidic which is why some suppliers call it a rooting acid.
Growth hormone for plants may be liquid or a powder, and most often contain and antifungal ingredient to deter rotting at the base where roots are to start. , Wet thoroughly the rooting soil (any decent soil will do) before inserting at an angle the small, prepared cuttings.
Avoid planting them upright at a ninety degree angle.
A forty five degree angle will assist in more of the cutting actually rooting. , Keep the soil moist to muddy for the duration of the rooting process and keep in 60-70% shade. , Sprouting on the cutting will happen over time, perhaps eight to ten weeks. , Be careful not to disturb until the roots are ready.
Leaves will start to appear, but that does not mean the roots are ready to go.
Avoid removing cuttings when the first leaves appear.
Growth in leaves simply means the rooting process is near to happening, not that they have already rooted.
Avoid pulling up cuttings to check on root growth, and this is disturbing to root growth and often, the cutting will die.
Leave the cuttings alone once they are set in the soil.
Most people inhibit rooting by constantly checking to see what is going on. , Remove the cuttings after three months, and after shoots with four to six leaves have grown.
Seeing significant roots means it is time to put into separate small plastic pots, and to begin moving them slowly from mostly shady towards the sun. , You need to do this step by step to keep the plants happy.
Leave them in each area with more sun for one week.
This is called "hardening off" in tropical areas.
Following the move into full sun, wait one week and then plan on how or where you are going to plant them.
Once in a pot or ground, provide extra water for a period of one month so that a taproot can grow more deeply. , The plants are now their own plants, and are adapting.
Reduce extra water after one month so they can acclimate to the new "home".
Once fully established, it takes a bit of stress (roots getting bound, fluctuations in available water) to precipitate flowering.
Flowering is NOT the vibrant color we notice, it is the insignificant white flower at the end of these brilliantly colored stems that are actually the flower. ,, -
Step 3: Prepare and treat the nodes.
-
Step 4: Wet the soil and insert the cutting.
-
Step 5: Keep it moist and shady.
-
Step 6: Wait for it to sprout.
-
Step 7: Leave the cuttings until four to six leaves have appeared.
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Step 8: Know when the cuttings are ready.
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Step 9: Do the three stage process to full sun.
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Step 10: Establish the new plants in their new home.
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Step 11: Give those you do not need as great gifts
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Step 12: sell to a nursery or at a tag sale Rooting
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Step 13: if done according to the steps above
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Step 14: will yield many more plants than you actually need
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Step 15: so be creative in how to gift or sell the rest.
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Step 16: Some people find propagating bougainvillea to be a great way of supplementing their income.
Detailed Guide
Cut back an older bougainvillea as you would in normal care of this tropical to semi-tropical plant.
Certain parts will not grow or take root, so you clean them up.
Discard any green, more recent growth.
This will not root.
Remove 50% of any leaves remaining on the piece to root.
Cut the older woody sections into 2-4” pieces. , Nodes are where roots are most likely to form, so you should cut and treat the nodes to speed growth/propagation.
Cut the bottom of each piece where a node is, and cut on an angle so that it is at least slightly pointed.
Nodes show up as bumps or lumps on the old wood.
These are the areas in which natural plant growth hormones are at their highest concentration.
Wet with water the bottom of each piece, and dip lightly in a rooting hormone, also known as a rooting acid.
Plant hormone is acidic which is why some suppliers call it a rooting acid.
Growth hormone for plants may be liquid or a powder, and most often contain and antifungal ingredient to deter rotting at the base where roots are to start. , Wet thoroughly the rooting soil (any decent soil will do) before inserting at an angle the small, prepared cuttings.
Avoid planting them upright at a ninety degree angle.
A forty five degree angle will assist in more of the cutting actually rooting. , Keep the soil moist to muddy for the duration of the rooting process and keep in 60-70% shade. , Sprouting on the cutting will happen over time, perhaps eight to ten weeks. , Be careful not to disturb until the roots are ready.
Leaves will start to appear, but that does not mean the roots are ready to go.
Avoid removing cuttings when the first leaves appear.
Growth in leaves simply means the rooting process is near to happening, not that they have already rooted.
Avoid pulling up cuttings to check on root growth, and this is disturbing to root growth and often, the cutting will die.
Leave the cuttings alone once they are set in the soil.
Most people inhibit rooting by constantly checking to see what is going on. , Remove the cuttings after three months, and after shoots with four to six leaves have grown.
Seeing significant roots means it is time to put into separate small plastic pots, and to begin moving them slowly from mostly shady towards the sun. , You need to do this step by step to keep the plants happy.
Leave them in each area with more sun for one week.
This is called "hardening off" in tropical areas.
Following the move into full sun, wait one week and then plan on how or where you are going to plant them.
Once in a pot or ground, provide extra water for a period of one month so that a taproot can grow more deeply. , The plants are now their own plants, and are adapting.
Reduce extra water after one month so they can acclimate to the new "home".
Once fully established, it takes a bit of stress (roots getting bound, fluctuations in available water) to precipitate flowering.
Flowering is NOT the vibrant color we notice, it is the insignificant white flower at the end of these brilliantly colored stems that are actually the flower. ,,
About the Author
Nancy Gomez
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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