Bougainvillea

[pwu2005]

We just bought two pots of bougainvillea plants today at Wal-Mart. I have the intention of planting them as a vine on an east-facing fence or a south-facing wall of the house. Is this a viable option in our climate, with our fluctuating winter temperatures? If not, how else can I manage these plants? (I'm not really looking to hang them up in a basket.) I read somewhere (without fully comprehending) that a the pot itself could be planted into the ground with something to keep out the groundwater as opposed to rooting the plant out of the pot first before planting. I'd like to try to keep the plant looking "grounded" or "vined" as opposed to "potted."

Thanks,
Phillip

[sylviagreen]

The only people I know who've had bouganvilla have always kept it in a large pot outdoors during the growing season & then cut back the dying foliage & moved the plant inside for protection during the winter.

If you plant the pot, you still have to water it like any other potted plant.
The advantage is that the roots are insulated from extremes of temperature.

I don't know if there are any micro-climates in our area that are sheltered enough to plant it in the ground & leave it there.


Best luck & enjoy your beautiful plant!

[Kay Young]

I learned the hard way that bougainvilleas have a tap root that grows to China in a few months. Our bougainvilleas are planted in pots and we overwinter them in the garage. Last summer instead of putting the pots on a patio, I put the pots in the garden (sitting on top of the soil), because I was trying to find a spot that had dappled sun. When it came time to move them indoors, I couldn't pick up the pots. I had to cut the taproots, which turned out to be quite big. I thought I had killed the plants, but they slowly recovered. Now I put a piece of screen or something over the drainage hole so that won't happen again.