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Bougainvillea suffering indoors

MarsheeeMarsheee Posts: 10
in Plants
Hello, 

My bougainvillea were doing quite well outside over summer, I brought them in recently when the weather started dropping below 16c degrees over night, because that they don’t do well in temp colder than that. 

However, the pink flowered leaves have started rapidly dropping and one of the plants green leaves have started flopping down & going a lighter yellowy green.

 I have been watering when the top soil is very dry but still slightly damp when sticking finger in, so as not to over water.

Not sure what is wrong with it?
Any ideas? 

Would be good to have some advice on keeping them healthy indoors over Winter so that they thrive next summer when going back outside.

Thanks

Posts

  • MarsheeeMarsheee Posts: 10
    Sorry forgot to post pic. See above 
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge South LondonPosts: 1,736
    They're such difficult to look after plants indoors. They really need a heated greenhouse to be truly happy. They grow with no care in the Mediterranean but in the UK it's a struggle to keep them happy. The baby plants you have will want to become rather large climbers if truly happy and that's something you can't accommodate in a domestic interior easily. Don't know what to suggest than lots of light and warmth. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • MarsheeeMarsheee Posts: 10
    @amancalledgeorge thank you,
    Yeah I thought they would be challenging being Mediterranean plants but read that it was do-able
    aslong as they have lots of light and warmth so they are positioned right next to our bifold doors and get plenty of sunlight most the day. 
    Maybe I need to given them another feed and prune them to help them through the shock of changing from outside to in? 
    Shame as I would love to grow them big, we have enough space next to our bifolds to do that so I was hoping to nurture them until ready to go out again next summer. 
  • AuntyRachAuntyRach Posts: 3,972
    I am a Bougainvillea novice (year two for me) but I find that mine does better indoors for most of the year. I am still trying to work out it’s exact requirements as it seems to like to be watered just at the point of drying out and it responds to under or overwatering by dropping leaves or not flowering. I have found that the pretty pink bracts do stop after the Autumn. I have found leaf drop happens at times, sometimes unexpectedly, which is why I say I am still working out how it ticks. Good luck with yours. 
    My garden and I live in South Wales. 
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