Bougainvilia
 

Mine has just lost al its purple coloured petals.
Is this normal for this time of year or am I doing something wrong?
Mike

So has mine - perhaps it is the time of year, as I have only had it for a
couple of months - the petals are falling everwhere! Margret
"Mike Tunstall" wrote in message
...
Mine has just lost al its purple coloured petals.
Is this normal for this time of year or am I doing something wrong?
Mike

"Margret" no wrote in message ...
So has mine - perhaps it is the time of year, as I have only had it for a
couple of months - the petals are falling everwhere! Margret
"Mike Tunstall" wrote in message
...
Mine has just lost al its purple coloured petals.
Is this normal for this time of year or am I doing something wrong?
Mike
I bought mine about 2 months ago too Margret. From what I have read they are
supposed to flower till late Autumn. I hope it isn't dying its a lovely
plant

Mike

"Mike Tunstall" wrote in
message ...

"Margret" no wrote in message ...
So has mine - perhaps it is the time of year, as I have only had it for
a
couple of months - the petals are falling everwhere! Margret
"Mike Tunstall" wrote in message
...
Mine has just lost al its purple coloured petals.
Is this normal for this time of year or am I doing something wrong?
Mike
I bought mine about 2 months ago too Margret. From what I have read they
are
supposed to flower till late Autumn. I hope it isn't dying its a lovely
plant

Mike

I am not sure what is happening to your plants but I am puzzled as they
should only just be coming into flower and then only if they kept their
leaves over winter, so if you have had it a short while, it may just be out
of synch. I have found mine likes to be kept cold and dry over winter but
well watered in summer.
I don't know that that helps much!

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

In message , Mike Tunstall
writes
Mine has just lost al its purple coloured petals.
Is this normal for this time of year or am I doing something wrong?
Mike

The coloured petals of a Bougainvillaea are actually modified leaves
known as bracts. The flowers are tiny white/cream star shaped things.
Bracts tend to fall when conditions change or are not quite right.
Plants often become dormant during the winter months and drop not only
their bracts but their green leaves as well They require a large amount
of light which may not have been sufficient during the winter. Just
keep it watered sufficiently to keep the roots from drying out and when
it starts putting out new shoots increase the watering and add
fertiliser on a two weekly basis.
--
Robert

On Mon, 2 May 2005 01:27:31 +0100, "Mike Tunstall"
wrote:

~
~"Margret" no wrote in message ...
~ So has mine - perhaps it is the time of year, as I have only had it for a
~ couple of months - the petals are falling everwhere! Margret
~ "Mike Tunstall" wrote in message
~ ...
~ Mine has just lost al its purple coloured petals.
~ Is this normal for this time of year or am I doing something wrong?
~ Mike
~I bought mine about 2 months ago too Margret. From what I have read they are
~supposed to flower till late Autumn. I hope it isn't dying its a lovely
~plant
~
~Mike
~
~
A bract only lasts a few weeks or so. You should notice them fading
from the initial colours. Inside each is a white flower which opens
for a few days and then shrivels. After that, the flower, which won't
have been pollinated, deadheads itself naturally.

The branch grows a bit, then flowers again. So don't worry - they do
drop off!

I've got three of varying colours, two of which are now some 9 years
old and sometimes they seem to die completely for a few months and
then, just when I think I've lost them, they break dormancy and off
they go again, often growing flowers before leaves! All three are
currently flowering at once, which hasn't happened before.

Basically, treat them like African violets - water sparingly and feed
with high potash food.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

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