Extraordinary and colorful, bougainvillea is a climbing plant that produces beautiful flowers that announce the beginning of summer and recall Mediterranean and holiday landscapes.

Fortunately, it is as beautiful as it is easy to grow. As always, here are all the steps to take to grow one.

• The first thing to know is that bougainvillea loves heat (it cannot live in temperatures below 5 degrees).
• You can grow this plant directly in a pot from a cutting. The optimal period to plant it is spring.
• After placing the cutting in the potting soil, it will take about 3 weeks for the roots to appear.
• The soil should be a mixture of universal soil and peat, add pebbles to the bottom of the pot to drain and to prevent standing water from forming.
• Bougainvillea tolerates drought well , water it only when the soil is completely dry.
• During the month of February, pruning should be carried out , removing all dry branches to allow the plant to grow again and renew.
• Bougainvillea is usually very hardy, however it can suffer from aphid and mealybug attacks . In this case you can use a mixture of 500ml of water and 2 tablespoons of Neem oil to kill pests.
• To stimulate flowering, focus on frequent (weekly) fertilization based on fertilizers rich in zinc, nitrogen, and potassium.