Shoot elongation response of bougainvillea plant to pruning and slow-release fertilizer

Abstract EN

Potted bougainvillea plants (one-year old) were pruned to have one or twobranches and fertilized once a season with slow –release NPK fertilizer (17-17- 17) at the rates of 0, 10 and 20 g/pot.

Data cleared that plants with one-branch showed more pronounced increases in plant height, root- shoot ratio, fresh and dry weights of flower- bracts, leaf pigments (chlorophylls a & b) and carotenoids content than those with two- branches which produced higher number of shoots and dry weight of aerial parts.

Numbers of leaves and flower-bract, total leaf area and leaf nutrients content (N, P and K) were not affected with pruning type treatments.

Plant height, number of shoots per plant, total leaf area, leaf nutrients content (N, P and K) and carbohydrates content were significantly increased with increasing fertilizer rate, but low fertilizer rate (10g/ plant) was the most pronounced dose for increasing number of leaves and total leaf area, and fresh and dry weights of aerial parts.

Since a rate of 20 g/plant was more effective in stimulating flower –bract parameters and chlorophylls.

The interaction between pruning and NPK- fertilizer treatments indicated that the favorable growth and flowering were obtained from the combination of plants with one- branch and fertilized with 20g/ plant.

This combination is desirable for hedges, fences and pergola purposes.