Bougainvillea on Roof Terrace
Hello!
I have a rooftop terrace in zone 10 with a 40 foot long fence along which I would like to plant bougainvillea that will fill out and climb to form a beautiful occlusive wall. I'd like the height to be around 8 feet ultimately. I want to build a 40 foot long planter with the same wood as the decking along the fence line for this purpose.
Can anyone please tell me how deep and wide I should make this planter? (Or at least the cubic foot of soil volume I should aim for). Also, how far apart should I plant the starts?
Any other recommendations for the planter specific to bougainvillea? I know it needs good drainage. I'd like this planter to last as long as possible.
Many thanks.
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'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
As Iamweedy says,they will fill a greenhouse in this country,and I did see one growing in a pot once in an old folks home.
It would be interesting to know your location? Good luck.
We're just going to build a long planter 40 cm wide and 60 cm deep and put one plant every 5 ft or so. We'll see how it goes after a few years of growth (with regular trimming indeed, and training/pinning up the wall). The numbers are only very loosely based on what I've seen for some other climbers while reading around.
Here's what the RHS says, but bear in mind it is aimed at UK gardeners so interpret as necessary - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=816
They don’t need very rich soil, and use lightweight materials at the bottom to aid drainage, such as chunks of polystyrene insulation, anything to lighten the load, and don’t overwater.
I would second the cautions about load bearing. Do you know how the roof terrace is constructed? If it’s an old house or block with a traditional elm beam, cal and cane structure, be very careful! If it’s the more modern concrete beam and raciones, you might be ok.