Growing Tibouchina in pots

Which Tibouchina to plant in pots?

The Tibouchina is a bush that can be grown in a pot. As it cannot tolerate temperatures below -2 to -3°C, pot cultivation is even recommended outside of warm regions without frost periods, such as the Mediterranean coast.

The Tibouchina urvilleana

Reaching a height of 2.5 metres, the Tibouchina urvilleana bears stunning violet-blue flowers on silky green foliage, contrasting with purple-red buds, from August to November. It can have a spread of 1.25 metres, but its dimensions remain modest when grown in a pot.

Tibouchina urvilleana

The Tibouchina semidecandra – Lasiandra

While it can climb up to 3 metres in the ground, the Tibouchina semidecandra – Lasiandra will not exceed a height of 2 metres when grown in a pot. With its bright violet flowers with fuchsia highlights and its velvety green, veined leaves, it brings a tropical feel to a terrace or garden. It rewards us with its flowering, from July to October.

Tibouchina semidecandra

The Tibouchina Groovy baby

This dwarf Tibouchina remains compact with a height at ripeness of 80 cm, making it an ideal plant for pot cultivation. It forms a small, bushy, rounded shape with veined, velvety green foliage that is covered in large, satin-like flowers of a unique violet-blue colour measuring 8 cm, from August to November. The flower buds are tinged with purple, creating a lovely and original mix of colours.

Tibouchina ‘Groovy baby’

Where and when to plant Tibouchina in a pot?

• Tibouchina thrives in a very bright and warm location, with filtered sunlight rather than direct scorching sun. Place it sheltered from wind and frost, ideally under a tree or in partial shade.
• It is advisable to plant Tibouchina in spring, after the last frosts, in April or May, to enjoy its flowering from the following summer.

How to grow Tibouchina in a pot?

What type of pot?

• You can install the Tibouchina in any sufficiently large pot
• Clay or stone pots are preferable as they facilitate water evaporation, with the Tibouchina needing a well-drained substrate. Conversely, water-retaining containers should be avoided.

What substrate?

The Tibouchina prefers to be planted in a light, rich, and draining substrate that remains cool and is not calcareous. It even appreciates slightly acid soil.

Planting

• Take a large pot and place a layer of gravel or clay balls at the bottom for proper drainage
• Add a rich and well-draining mix consisting of potting soil, compost, and 1/3 of heather soil
• Install the bush, firm the soil, and water without excess.

How to care for potted Tibouchina?

Watering

• In pots, water the Tibouchina regularly but without excess, allowing it to dry out between waterings.
• In summer, for the first two years after planting, water regularly twice a week during hot summer spells or as soon as the soil is dry.
• During flowering, the substrate should never be dry.
• When you bring the Tibouchina into a greenhouse or conservatory in winter, reduce watering. Ensure that the saucers do not contain water.

Fertiliser

• To encourage flowering, add a fertiliser for flowering plants every 15 days during watering.
• Stop fertilising in winter, which is the plant’s resting period.

Pruning

• Prune the Tibouchina after flowering, in October, to balance and reduce the branches, which encourages flowering.
• Remove dead wood, as well as the tips of faded shoots using disinfected pruning shears.
• If the Tibouchina has suffered during winter, you can cut it back to 30 cm from the ground.

Diseases and Pests

• When placed in a greenhouse or conservatory, the Tibouchina may be susceptible to red spider mites and mealybugs.
• To combat mealybugs, remove the small pests with a cotton pad soaked in alcohol and spray with rapeseed oil and soap. Repeat these sprays two or three times at 15-day intervals.
• To combat red spider mites, regularly spray non-limestone water on the foliage to maintain a humid environment around the pot, as the mites do not appreciate humidity.

Wintering

• As the Tibouchina is not very hardy, it needs to be brought indoors in winter, before frost, into a conservatory or greenhouse that is not too heated, bright but without direct sunlight, except in coastal regions spared from frost. When moving it, be careful not to damage its stems, which are quite brittle.
• With the return of fine weather and the end of frosts, in April or May, you can take it back outside.