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Bougainvillea petals grey and leaves with holes (photo included)

chloesmith61chloesmith61 Posts: 49
edited May 2020 in Problem solving


Does anyone know the cause of dry curling petals (with grey outer edges), on this bougainvillea?

The leaves have white marks and holes in. 

You may be able to see if you zoom in. 

Thanks in advance! 

Posts

  • foxwalesfoxwales Posts: 69
    Looks very healthy to me.  I wouldn't be concerned.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I have zoomed in and see what you mean, but I don’t think it’s significant, maybe a bit of cold/windburn to the leaf edges, but not sure. It does need a larger pot with good drainage and a sunny, sheltered location. Not very hardy, so will need winter protection. It will have been grown in optimum nursery conditions so might have had a minor shock being introduced to the real world.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • chloesmith61chloesmith61 Posts: 49
    Thanks both! I thought the wind/cold could be an issue. It does look worse than the photo shows. 

    In terms of repotting it - how much bigger should I go with the pot? And what soil should I use? 

    Thanks! 
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Hi, any good potting soil with lots of grit mixed in. I would probably go for something around 40cm tall and wide, but as you will need to move it under cover in winter, maybe a plastic or resin pot that you can move easily. Keep the pot off the ground. Water well then allow it to drain and dry out a little in between waterings. Cold, wet and cold winds are the enemies. They perform best in hot, dry conditions. A mild, southerly, seaside location or sheltered London garden would probably suits them. If you don’t have these conditions, bear in mind it may not thrive or flower reliably well. Actually the flowers are teeny tiny, it’s the colourful bracts surrounding them everyone loves. I lost a few in cold winters in the south of spain and can’t grow them at all where I live now! Don’t want to put you off, just a bit of fair warning. Good luck!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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